BARTOW, Fla. – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) invites you to a public hearing for the State Road (S.R.) 70 Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study from west of S.R. 31 to SE Highlands County Line Road. (FPID 451942-1) in Desoto County.

This study will evaluate and document the benefits, costs, and impacts of widening a 16.7-mile segment of S.R. 70 in DeSoto County from the existing two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane, divided roadway. Also included is the addition of shared use paths, wildlife crossing features, roadway signing and pavement markings, and stormwater management facilities including treatment ponds and floodplain compensation sites. Project benefits could include: improved traffic safety conditions, continued maintenance of the important east-west connection and accommodation of the increasing freight activity along the project corridor.

Attend the public hearing: 

In-Person Option: 
Thursday, January 8, 2026

Turner Agri-Civic Center

2250 NE Roan St., Arcadia, FL 34266 
5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Open house 
6:00 p.m. Formal presentation and comment period  

Virtual Option:
Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Register in advance:
6:00 p.m. Formal presentation and comment period
Please review the materials on project webpage before attending: www.swflroads.com/project/451942-1.
Materials will be posted by  

Tuesday, December 30, 2025. 

If you are unable to attend the hearing, comments can also be provided through the project webpage (www.swflroads.com/project/451942-1) or by email (joe.lauk@dot.state.fl.us) or mail (FDOT District One, Attn: Joseph M. Lauk, 801 N. Broadway Ave., MS 1-41, Bartow, FL 33830). While comments about the project are accepted at any time, they must be received or postmarked by Tuesday, January 27, 2026, to be included in the formal hearing record.

All comments are weighted equally. Questions can be answered by calling the FDOT project representative Joseph M. Lauk, Patel, Green and Associates, LLC (PGA), GEC Consultant Support for FDOT District One, Florida Department of Transportation at (863) 519-2525.

A summary of the hearing will be available on the webpage approximately 30 days following the close of the comment period.

Project documents will be available for public viewing from December 17, 2025 to January 22, 2026, at DeSoto County Library, 125 N Hillsborough Ave, Arcadia, FL 34266 and at FDOT District One Headquarters, 801 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, FL 33830. They will also be available on the project webpage.

FDOT is conducting a PD&E study to evaluate options for widening S.R. 70 in DeSoto County. The project limits cover approximately 16.7 miles of S.R. 70 from west of S.R. 31 to SE Highlands County Line Road. The intent of this study is to evaluate widening the existing two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane divided roadway. Additional improvements that will be evaluated as part of the proposed project include bridge replacements, intersection improvements, stormwater management, wildlife crossings, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

FDOT solicits public participation without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status. People who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Cynthia Sykes, District One Title VI Coordinator, at (863) 519-2287, or email at cynthia.sykes@dot.state.fl.us at least seven days prior to the public hearing. 

 The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by FDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. §327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated May 26, 2022 and executed by Federal Highway Administration and FDOT.

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The Florida Department of Transportation’s mission is to provide a safe statewide transportation system that promotes the efficient movement of people and goods, supports the state’s economic competitiveness, prioritizes Florida’s environment and natural resources, and preserves the quality of life and connectedness of the state’s communities