Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1922-09-12
WILL IMPROVE
old HIGHWAY
TOBOCA CHICA
Good Road to Best Beach on
Gulf Coast Will be Con-
structed; Work to Start
in Few Days

Brownsville will soon have a greatly
improved road 10 Boca Chica. according
to an announcement made yesterday.
County Commissioner Sam Bell has of
fered to apportion $500 for improve
ment Of the Boca Chica road if browns
vile will put up an additional 500. ana
this offer has been accepted hy the road
committee Of the Chamber of Commerce.
County Engineer Washington conDIet
ed n survey OF the Boca Chica road last
week. and announced that while il would
require between $1,000 and 5000 L.
make first class highway, he was con
fident that $500 OF $GG0 would be suffi
cient for present needs. and that a. Il
was late in the season he believed il nd
vsable 10 make the Improvement this fall
and leave the construction of first class
road until some future date
Nine miles of the read is over the II
Jard:n highway. leaving about i6 miles
to be improved. Much OF this is low
land. but a grade foot or two high
would be sufficient on most of il To pre-
vent overflow, except in extremely high
water. The low places will be graded up
this full. and the road put in such shape
that il will lac possible for autoiSiS To go
10 Boca Chica with the assurance that
a passing shower will not make the road
im,assable.
Boca Chica Il one of the finest bath
i'm: beaches on the Cuff coast. and some
of the best fishing grounds gu the Gulf
arc in that vicinity. For many years il
has attracted Valley sporismcn. cspecial
ly during the fishing and duck shooting
seasons. but its inaccessihiliiy on ne
count Of bad roads have prevented them
In large measure from enjoying the
sport it affords. Notwithstanding this
drawback. Eoca Chica has been incrcaS.
ing in popularity each year. and With
good highway connections ii will become
tho most popular beach for Valley uco-
pie
We cssnot afford 70 -tlild first
class road now Commissioner Bc,I
stated but hone We viii Lc able Ia 10
80 next wear. Ii is rather late in the
season 10 start on IL. as few people will
be- going To Boca Chica after the firS.
of October. However. il may lie pos
sible 10 construct first class grade next
year" III this is done bridge will also
he constructed over one Of the lagopn-
which nnw compel a dctour of about twt
milcS in the roadway.
The survey made by County EnginScI
Washington shows that about fifteen
miles of grade viii be necessary from
The end of the III Jardin road 10 H"ca
Chi'n. The road is almost level. an.
grSdinG will y. simple matter. only .
Few fills and culyerts ia addition to .
bridge over lagoon being necessary
considering The mileage. the crst Of con
structing good road would he very
li.ht.
One of the nrncipal features the
county is taking into consideration IA
regard Ia the Poca Chira road il III,
fact that officers If the law have .cry
little chance. with present road tondi
tions. To- suppress the smuggling and
either l,v breaking which i Known 1"
eviSt between Brownsville aud The mouth
of the river. Much of the smuggling oH
This part II the border is being done
between the mouth of he river and the
southern limit of the agricultural arca,
county official stated. anh officers have
ne means. because of the lack Of -
highway. of surprising these SInugglrrs
ar in any other manner suppressng
their operations 10 an aprrcciahlc *
tent.