Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-21
FARMS, CITIZENS
SERVED BY fine
CONCRETE ROAD
Wonderful System Of
Traffic Arteries Are
Constructed at Cost Of
Over Four Million

Concrete highways, smooth
and lasting, running through a
wonderland of fine citrus fruit
orchards, truck farms, pretty
homes, and decorated in palms
and tropical foliage, extending
from Brownsville northwestward
to the Starr county line beyond
Mission, a distance of SO miles,
and from Pharr to the Brooks
county line, on the north a dis
lance Of AZ miles, tie the towns of the
Valley into one community and make
close neighbors of the towns and cities
of the north and central portions Of
the state.
Approximately $4,000, 900 has been
spent by Hidalgo and Cameron counties
and state and federal aid has helped
to build this system and to grade the
hundreds of miles Of good connecting
dirt roads. w
And all of this, complete with the
exception Of a short stretch at Merce-
des, has been constructed in the past
three years. Cameron county has com
pleted 40 miles of concrete highway, 20
miles Is feet wide and the remainder Is
feet wild Hidalgo county has almost
completed 80 miles of the same type o:
road.
HidalgO has 80 Miles Higway
Cameron county was first to complete
its hardsurface program and used con-
crete exclusively beginning in the ear
ly part Of 1922. The Hidalgo program,
which is complete with the exception of
the three miles near Mercedes, covers
SO miles and has four types OF, 'baSe..
concrete, gravel-macadam, rolled gravel
and caliche. The road is to be complet-
ed at Mercedes, soon, according to Of
ficials of that county. A big grade was
necessary through some lowland near
that point and it is necessary to allow
this grade sufficient time to settle be-
fore it is topped.
The campaign which resulted in the
construction of this system of highways
was started in 1918, the entire section
being practically without roads at that
time, all Of them having been destroyed
by the heavy traffic during the time
thousands of troops were stationed
along the border; and travel TO any
point outside the Valley by auto was
practically impossible on account of the
sand belt on the north and east. Hidal-
go voted the first bond issue for high
ways and was followed shortly by Cam
eron county.
Although Hidalgo voted the first
bonds, Cameron county started con-
struction of the concrete road first and
completed their road early in 1924. the
cost of construction having been consid-
erably less than the original estimate.
Three miles of concrete highway was
constructed north of Harrington with
$13O,0OO worth Of the funds remaining
and $25,000 was used to build a bridge
across the Arroyo Colorado south Of La
Feria.
Utilize Surplus Funds
The completion, of these two projects
left $4,000 worth Of bonds still unsoli
and available for further improvements.
OF this amount 100000 has been issued
to complete work on the Barreda- Point
Isabel road and $4,000 will be divided
equally between the Brownsville and
San Benito precincts for further road
improvement during the coming year.
The Brownsville portion Of the funI
likely will be used on the 14th street
an Ell Jardin boulevard, according to
County Judge O. C. Dancy.
Cameron county built the first con-
crete road but Hidaigo provided an out
let for auto traffic to and from the
Valley, building a caliche road connect
ing Falfurrias and Edinburg. This was
started in 1920 and was completed in
1922. After this road was completed t-
tie progress was made in Hidalgo coun-
ty until 1928, but when a start was
made roads were. built with a rush. The
EdinBnrg-Falfurrias road was topped
with asphalt aud construction was start
ed in several parts of the county about
the same time. Contracts were let for
The construction of about 80 miles of
concrete, gravel and caliche base road
to a total of more than So, ZOO, 900, the
largest roadbuilding contract let In the
state up to the present time.
Starr county has Joined the process.
sion and now has more than 80 miles
of gravel road under construction. This
road is to connect with the Valley high
way at Hidalgo county line.
Flood Control Next
Cameron and Hidalgo counties both
have turned to the development of. a
feeder system of dirt roads. These are
well-graded and drained and are pass
able in almost any weather and soon dry
after a prolonged wet spell. Judge Dan
cy of Cameron. county says this system
of feeder roads eventually will be the
best in the state.
Some of the more important roads
Continued on Page q