For years, residents have voiced concerns about the dangerous intersection at Seed Tick Road and Highway 70. With the extension of the new Lakeland Prep Campus Drive off Highway 70 nearing completion, these safety issues have gained renewed attention from both the community and the Board of Commissioners (BOC). The discussion, which spans months and even years, recently revisited the idea of introducing roundabouts to Highway 70. Despite some support from the BOC, this plan did not materialize.
Instead, the focus returned to the installation of a traffic light—a more conventional solution that was already in the planning stages but installation was not expected until the summer of 2025.
In light of the upcoming school traffic concerns, Lakeland Schools Superintendent, Dr. Ted Horrell, proposed a solution to Commissioner Wesley Wright, the BOC liaison with Lakeland School System (LSS). Dr. Horrell suggested that LSS execute a change order with their current contractor, Moss Carpenter, for $64,800 to expedite the installation of a temporary traffic light. This would allow work to begin immediately, aiming for completion before or shortly after the first day of school.
The proposal requested that the LSS BOC approve the allocation of half of the project’s total cost ($32,400) from the City to the school system. Given the timeline for the permanent traffic light, which would take a year or longer, the BOC fully supported the measure. This temporary light would help the new road fulfill its purpose and alleviate the increasing traffic on Canada Road. The temporary traffic light is expected to be in place by August.
