The Punta Gorda herald., 1922-09-01
STATE ROAD NO. 5

Whenever anyone anywhere men
tions Punta Gorda, Charlotte cornty
and roads al at once, he can get an
argument out of the Punta Gorda
Herald. We admire and respect the
Herald and it's scrappy editor, Paul
X. Garrett, and we enjoy reading his
.pithy paragraphs on what someone
else has said about his town, his
county and affairs therein.
The latest cause for comment in
the Herald, it seems, has arisen in an
article in The News with reference TO
the proposed construction in Lee
county of eight miles of road which
eventually will be part of road No. 5.
Now Punta Gorda and Charlotte
county want road No. completed
That is natural. DeSoto county and
Arcadia want it as badly as their
neighbors. That road through Pun
Ia Gorda to Fort Myers would be a
blessing to this entire section. We
also want No. 2, although it leads
through undeveloped country and
any mention of it in the presence of
Charlotte county resident is like
waving a rcd rag at bull.
The trouble is that the road it is
proposed to build in Lee county has
no visible outlet into Fort Myers.
The Caloosahatchee is in the way.
Mr.. Garrett says ferry will provide
for crossing there, which is all right
so far as it goes. He also says pri-
vate capital will build a bridge.
Maybe it will. The News has had in
formation from several persons in
Fort Myers that the prospects of get
ting bridge at that point are slight
at this time, and that it probably will
be years before such a structure is
put in.
The News does not feel that is.
a mistake to start building a badly
needed road. No move toward i'm
provement can be mistake. But it
seems there should be some definite
plan for an outlet at either end of
The hardsurfaced section before work
IS begun.
I'VE have in mind the condition
existing for long time on the road
between kissimmee and Melbourne,
than which thcre has been no worse |
stretch in the state, though recently
It has been much improved. For a |
IONS time there existed in the middle |
Of that 54-mile highway a section OF |
asphalt paving about six miles long, !
that began out in the wilderness and
ended in the same place. 1t was
built at SEeat expense and benefited
no one. 1t was built so long ago
that by the time it was decided TO
the road this stretch was
gone. 1t was a fine ex-
ample OF going ahead enthusiastically
with piece of improvement work
without definite plan for completing
it, and consequently wasting money
for the taxpayers.
Mr.. Garrett says engineers are
even now surveying the Charlotte
county end of the proposed No. 5
road and that bonds will surely be
voted for construction work before
very Ions. This is indeed good news.
The News, with everyone else in Ar
cadia and DeSoto county hopes the
bond issue will come early and that
completion of hard highway in Fort
Myers Will be accOmnliShod &C Snop
as 1t is possible for human hands to
finish the task
If there is a hard road to the
banks of the Caloosahatchee we will
take chance on getting across.
And if Mr.. Garrett will just keep on
prodding his county about doing its
part in the road building, he can ac-
cept this as an apology for stepping
on his tender corns."
The ghOVp frppN