As far as residents from Bartow down to Lake Wales, as well as in Fort Meade and Frostproof may be concerned, few road projects are going to have a direct impact upon them for the next five years, from fiscal years 2014-2018; this according to the Dec. 12 public hearing the Florida Department of Transportation District One held at the Central Florida Regional Planning Council’s meeting.

The meeting, attended by representatives and board members of the CFRPC from DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Okeechobee counties, viewed a PowerPoint presentation. Learned from the presentation (for the project titled Map 21 Highway Funding) is that Florida will receive $1.8 billion in FY2013 (which translates to 93 percent of the Highway Trust Fund tax the state made). District One is scheduled to receive $463.5 million this year. Also revealed was that Map 21 extends current highway user tax through to Sept. 30, 2016.