The Punta Gorda herald., 1922-11-03
Make Sure of Being Right, Then 60
Ahead With Road HuiIding,
Idea OF All

/ ABOUT iOrtN representative citizens
of the county were present at a meet
ing of the Commercial Club Monday
Inight to hear the report of z. c.
Blount and w. NJ. Written, the COM
mittee sent to Tallahassee by the
county commissioners to interview
the state Road Department in the in
terest of state Road Number Five in
Charlotte county, a report of what
they learned and accomplished hav-
ing been published in last weeks
Herald.
Mr.. BloUnt explained why he and
Mr.. Whitton had decided not to ask
for Federal aid in building This high
way at this time, stating that after
investigating the matter it was decid-
ed tha, if Federal aid We're asked for
and granted there would be a ereat
deal of delay in getting actual con-
IStruction OF the road started. The
state Road Department has no funds
available for new projects at this
time, so Messrs. Blount and Whltten
proposed TO the department. that this
Icounty would, if the voters approve,
tissue bonds for an amount sufficient
to build the road according to state
requirements if tn e department
would, upon the roads completion by
the county, take it over and main
tain it until the department is able
and ready to finish it by surfacing
with soma MARINA mont N, oto,,io1 Tbic
the department agreed to DO, specify
ing 80, 500 year as the amount the
state would spend each year to main
tain the road, in addition to aiding
the county in construction TO the eX-
tent Of $4,000.
Mr. Pollard, State Road Depart
ment engineer, was present and stat
ed that such a road as the depart
.ment would require would cost in tie
.neighborhoOd of S9,000.00 a mile,
Such road, he said, would conform
10 state specifications as to righl-of-
way, grade and drainage structures
land would have a 17-foot hardsur-
face Of IL inches Of rock conrpacted
TO eight inches, ana would be first
class in every particular" regular
boulevard" He stated further that
within a week or ten days the final
plans and estimates OF cost would be
ready. and completion of these plans
and estimates will make it possibl
the exact type of road contemplated
and the exact, or almost exact, cost
OF construction, although the cost
might vary from the estimates eight
percent one way or the other.
a number of citizens expressed
themselves on the subject, each one
being heartily in favor of proceeding
along the lines suggested Just as
soon as possible, and If there were
any present who do not favor such
q course they did not express them
selves. One prominent gentleman
seemed to sum up the prevailing
opinion, when he, in effect, said:
Let's make sure we are right and go
thead. We want to KNOW how
much the road is going to cost and
NHdl hihu VI lOdh we GIt EOlH5 10
get. Then we will be ready to 20
lhcad." This gentleman stated that
lie thought such road as described
" Mr.. Pollard at the Tgure he nam
d was "a good proposition"
1t is understood that the commits
ioners are ready to call an election
ust as soon as they have the neces-
ary data, which will be supplied by
ne state Road Department, which is
Ow making up the plans, specifca-
ions and estimates of cost, which
ill be ready in a week or ten days.
Engineer Pollard stated that he
ad located number of deposits of
plendid road building material along
le route of the road in the western
ection of the county, but as yet had
OF found such deposits below Acline.