As the director of Polk County roads, Jay Jarvis addressed the Winter Haven city commission in a public presentation regarding roads and infrastructure projects. Many of the attendees expressed their concern about the roads and the purpose of the presentation was to answer questions and provide a thorough update on several road projects. Jarvis provided his email address, jjarvis@polk-county-dot-net, to the audience for further questions.

Jarvis focused on the specific questions the City Commission received about roadways in Winter Haven and those that provide Ingress egress in and out of the city limits. He clarified that many of the roads are not maintained by the county, and they didn’t want to speak on behalf of the county without understanding their projects and where they stand.

Jarvis started with the Thompson Nursery Road Extension project, which was initially set to be done in two phases, from West Lake Ruby to Highway 17 and from West Lake Ruby to Highway 27. According to Jarvis, the project is fully funded for the next five to seven years based on the current cost estimates. They have done some design changes due to development in the area, and they are currently in the process of getting ready to do an alignment study for that portion through segment two.

Segment three of the project is currently about half under construction in a developer’s agreement, but it won’t be of much use until the rest of the road is built. The segment four shown and the phase-out to Highway 27 are also part of the project.

Jarvis concluded his presentation by highlighting the high priority of segment one, which runs from Rifle Range Road to West Lake Ruby Drive. This project was also fully funded and on track. The purpose of the presentation was to provide updates on ongoing projects, and Jarvis ensured the attendees that he was available to answer further questions via email.