Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-02-24
HIGHWAY NO. Z
COMPLETED IN
THISCOUNTY
Last of Concrete Poured at
Harlingen Saturday. En-
tire Highway to be Open
ed March 15

The last concrete on Cameron coun-
tys section VI State Highway NO. NJ.
extending from Brownsville to the Hi
dAlF0 county line, n04th cf La FcriAY
was poured Saturday afternoon AZ 1920
o'clock. and the entire highway will he
open 70 traffic by March Is. This marks
the completion Of n project which has
baea underway in Cameron county
since February ID, 1921, when the first
work was done at Brownsville, and state
highway and other highway experts
state that Cameron county now haa one
w the best. as well as one of the long
est. hard-surfaced highways i'm the
South.
The residents Of Haringen have an
nOunced that plans are being made for
the celebration Of the opening of the
last .tretch of concrete on March lh.
and the entire Valley will be invited to
part cipata In celebrating the com
pleti0n w y project watch has already
proved its great value in Valley devel-
cpmcnt OH the day the highway ~ Or
cnea to traffic. bids will also be open
cd by the county commissioners for
the construction WI d concrete high
the remainder cf the cCunty's road
fund. with the exception Of $4,000 set
aside f0r the construction M bridge
over the Arroyo Colorado between Ia
Fcria and Santa Maria will he expend-
VA work On the Cameron county sec
tion of State highway No. IL began in
February. 1927. ana during that year ap-
proximately five miles north from
Brownsville was paved. During tn fol-
lowing year an additional nine miles.
from point two miles south of San
Be nto through that city 10 Harlingen.
was paved. I'm February, 1928, contract
was awarded to the McElwrath Con-
structicn Co.. 10 pave the remaining
2I.5 miles. " few days over year be-
Ing required To complete the work.
The concrete highway. which II 36-5
niles III length from the Cameron
county court house to the Hidalgo
county ne. required the expenditure "
approximately $1.200,00', state and
federal aid to the amount M $559.OOO
being extended. Some conception Of the
amount MI material used may NE gained
from the fact that freight bills amount
inr 10 approximately $4,000 have been
paid for INV movement of I GOO cars OF
gravel 100 cars Of sand. 500 cars OF
tran rock. $50 cars M cement and
cars " steel. making an approximate
total w $500 ears of material used
during the first two years ~ con-
struction l5-foot pavement was laid. but
the McETwruth contract called for full
ls-foot width. The entire highway is of
nH rWnf fN WM
Cd. The l5-foot sections are 7 inches IN
thickness IN the center, taperinE ~
l-2 inches ~ thc sides, but the IS-foot
hirhway has "a thickness Of inches IN
the center. tapcring 70 inches NJ the
sides.
The last concrete was poured at the
point where the turn is made at Har-
lingcn toward Ia Feria. and at this
point there are four road intersections
The huge concrete block which contains
600 square yards. was poured Saturday
morning. and a 1920 the last leveiing
was done and the highway pronounced
completed
Work on the highway north from
Harlingen n expected to start the lat
ter part of March. and the county COM
misstoncrs expect to have it completed
bv the time the cotton crop Is ready 70
move. The HarI ngen drainage district
announced this week. that the drainage
ditch now under construction would De
completed ~ far ~ the road NY the iat-
ter part Of next week, and ~ short
time The drainage problem will be
solved % far as that section OF the
highway H. concerned.
Az the time the contract for the COM
plction az the Cameron county section
WV n rhway No. ~ was awarded the Nc
r,l,rrath Construction Company expected
w have the entire highway opened 20
traffic early IN December, but ad-
verse weather conditions. combined
with the labor shortage last summer.
rapid work Excellent prog
Tess was made during favorable
weather end when sufficient labor was
available, but the abnormal rainfall cf
Tie past season was handicap which
delayed the opening Of the highway ~