The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1922-01-27
State Road Number Five

State Road Number Five
In all the talk of various state and
interstate highways penetrating and
opening to easy access various partly
developed, developing or almost I'M
developed sections of Florida the
TACT remains that two of these thor
Ioughfares are of vital Importance to
the west coast and South Florida
These are State Road No. 2 and State
Road No. 5. The one traverses the
central part of the penisular to Fort
Myers, The other passes down the
west coast to Punta Gorda, the route
from there to Fort Myers being to all
lntents and purposes merely a trail,
though easily travelled by motor cars
IN dry weather. At Fort Myers the
two roads link up with the lower and
diminished portion of the Tamiami
lrall, passing southwark to a point
near the Monroe county line, and
thence eastward across the lower edge
OF Lee county and across Dade coun-
ty to Miami.
State Road No. has been called
the coast highway, for the reason
That it lies contiguous to the Gulf
coast. passing through Alachua, Mar
ion, Levy, Citrus, fernando, Pasco,
Hlllsborough, Manatee, Saras
Charlotte and Lee counties, connect
ing at High Springs with State Road
No. 2 to the northern boundary of
Florida.
With the existing highway system
connecting the regions traversed by
these two roads, each is a feeder"
for the other, as well as a main ar
terry of north and south travel, one
traVersing the highlands region of the
state, the other the Gulf coastal sec
ton.
AT present, State Road No. S, is
traversable except in two places-the
sore spots" between Levy county and |
Dunnellon, and between Brooksyille |
and Lutz. With considerable diff
Guilty these spots can De negotiated:
but motorists in numbers are not 60
ng to attempt it SO long as the bad
'Pots remain, Therefore, so far as
'egards the practical utility of the
Dad, it might almost as well not ex- .
st as to be left in its present uncom- :
leted condition, .
The district in Levy county through :
'hich State Road No. 5 passes al :.
eady has been bonded for approx :;
ately one hundred thousand dollars. ::
ID the money is now being spent on :;
le contraction of the road-and I:
is with no state aid whatever, ex- !.
pit few convicts during the time {
hen M. M. Smith was chairman of !.
e State Road Department. About Z
tty thousand dollars of funds de i
Ied from the recent bond issue in ::
arlon county is to be used for con- :
'uctlon of the short stretch of the !:
ad traversing that county. Citrus :.
unity is now discussing a bond is ::
e for construction of a permanent !:
proved road along the line of State :
Dad No. through that county, and i
e voters probably will be called on :
sanction or disapprove such an is +
e IN the near future. fernando e!
unity already has foated a bond is :
e sufficient to take care of that !
TT of State Road No. south of Z
louisville, the portion north of that /
int, within fernando county. al !
ady having been constructed by =
cans of county bond issue. Hills !
rough county has built the stretch Z
tween Tampa and Lutz. From +
ltz north of Brooksville the road is !
d. From Tampa south to Punta =
'rda the road is in fairly good ::
ape; from Punta Gorda south /
H. the less said of that portion of {
ate Road No. the better. !;
An organization called the West :
asst Highway Association, of which i
ign Hale, of Brooksville, is presi- !:
NJ, has been formed to bring about :
'edy completion of State Road No !