LAKE PLACID – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) invites you to a public hearing for the S.R. 70 Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study from Jefferson Avenue to C.R. 29 in Highlands County on Oct. 22 and Oct. 27, 2026.

This study will evaluate widening S.R. 70 from the existing two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane divided roadway. Project improvements associated with widening will also include wildlife crossing features, roadway signing and pavement markings, a shared use path, and the construction of stormwater management facilities, including treatment ponds and floodplain compensation sites.

This hearing is being conducted to present the preferred alternative and all analysis to date, as well as to give interested persons an opportunity to express their views concerning the location, conceptual design, and social, economic, and environmental effects of the proposed improvements. You can participate live online or in-person. The information presented during either format will be the same and all attendees will have opportunity to comment.  

Attend the Public Hearing using the In-Person Option on October 22, 2026, or
Live Online Option on October 27, 2026:
• In-Person Option
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Archbold Biological Station
123 Main Drive, Venus, FL 33960

Anytime between 5 – 6 p.m. Open house 6 p.m.
Formal presentation and comment period.

Live Online Option
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
bit.ly/SR70VirtualHearing
5:45 p.m. How to submit comments
6 p.m. Formal presentation and comment period.
Please review the materials on project webpage before attending:
https://www.swflroads.com/project/414506-1

Materials will be posted by October 15, 2026.

If you are unable to attend the hearing, comments can also be provided through the project webpage https://www.swflroads.com/project/414506-1, or by email Joe.Lauk@dot.state.fl.us or by mail to FDOT District One, Attn: Joe Lauk, Project Manager, MS 1-41, 801 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, FL 33830. While comments about the project are accepted at any time, they must be received or postmarked by November 9, 2026, to be included in the formal hearing record. All comments are weighed equally. Questions can be answered by calling Joe Lauk 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 September 30 to November 9, 2026, at Lake Placid Memorial Library, 205 W. Interlake Boulevard, Lake Placid, FL 33852, and FDOT District One, 801 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, FL 33830. All documents will also be available on the project webpage.

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.

As proposed, the project will impact approximately 46.37 acres of property of the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area’s Lake Placid Scrub Tract. As part of the project development process and in accordance with Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966, the FDOT is seeking comments from the public concerning the effects of the project on the activities, features and attributes of this park. The FDOT intends to make a de minimis impact determination for this resource.

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 FHWA and FDOT.