Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-16
OLDPARALLEL
ROADPROJECT
IS ADVOCATED
Program Would Be
Designed to Shorten
Distance and Split
Highway Traffic

~ th1 ~ 1AAAANN1 ~
the Valley highway in Cameron
county and construction Of a paraI-
lei highway from Brownsville
through San Benito to Harrington TO
divide the heavy traffic on the Valley
highway and also provide a paved
road for sections which now have no
highways, Is advocated by County
Judge Dancy.
That the state highway department
will approve this program and will
extend state aid in the event the
county secures 100 foot rights Of way
for parallel roads has been indicated
in numerous conferences with de-
partment officials. 1t is very prob
able that these features will be
brought before the state highway
commission at the meeting Monday,
when the Cameron county projects,
including state aid on Highways Nos.
% and 100, will be considered
Surveys have not been made, but
according 10 tentative the parallel
road will branch from the military
highway just west of the Missouri
Pacific crossing about a mile from
the Brownsville city limits, and will
run due northwest TO San Benito.
The average distance from the pres
ent Valley highway would be about
two miles, but by eliminating curves
the distance TO San Benito would be
cut over q mile.
The road as now proposed woald
cross the Resaca de In Guerra about
a mile from the military highway, and
run between the Resaca de la Guerra
and the Resaca Rancho Viejo, to the
point where the floodway connects
with the Resaca Rancho Viejo, on the
former Antonio Barreda tract. liz
would run in q northwesterly direc-
tion across the {. i. Barreda lands
and the acreage donated by c. p.
Barreda for a state park. liz would cut
across the northern part Of the Rice
tract, now under development, and
enter the San Benito irrigation dis
trlct at a point about a mile and n
half south Of the present Valley
highway, entering the city Of San
Benito from the south or west,
probably connecting with the San Be-
nito-river highway at the city limits.
No Definite Plan
No definite plans have been adj
yanced for the parallel road from San
Benito TO Harlingen. IL probably
will branch from the San BenitO-Rio
Hondo pavement at a point one and
one-half TO two miles from San Be-
MTG and run due northwest to the
eastern city limits Of Harlingen. One
proposed route would cut the dis
lance between Harlingen and San Be-
nito approximately half a mile, and
bring a large volume of the Valley
traffic directly through Harlingen.
This road would be located approx
mately a mile and a half to two miles
east Of the Valley highway, providing
right-of-way can be secured.
Practically all that section Of the
parallel road from Brownsville TO
San Benito is through virgin terri
tory now coming under development,
whereas that section from San Be-
nito 70 Harlingen would be through
highly developed territory which,
however, is handicapped BY the lack
OF a paved connection, Judge Dancy
stated.
Proposes Surveys
"What should be done now is To
have our engineers make surveys and
get figures on both the proposed
s~arallel highway and the widening OF
NtknAAl W. 4@f 0AuAE O4AGl o1AUs
"Even il we widened Highway No. ~
to a 40 or 60-foot street, it is my
opinion that il will he "a question Of
only \ few years, perhaps only two or
three years, until we must have the
parallel road; and now, while the
highway commission seems sold on
the parallel road, is in my opinion
the psychological moment 70 take
advantage Of the opportunity which I
feel is knocking at the door Of Cam
eron county"
Judge Dancy stated he was not in
favor of constructing these parallel
roads Immediately but. did suggest
that rights az way be secured, and, III
deemed advisable, they be cleared and
graded ready for paving when the
time comes.
development Of the virgin terri
tory between Brownsville and San
Benito. especially in that section ly-
ing between the Valley highway and
the Rio Grande will be rapid" was
the prediction Of the county judge.
"That' large acreage composing the
Barreda lands. and the thousands Of
fertile acres west Of Brownsville
along the Guerra and Ranch Viejo
resacas will be brought under in
tcnsive development in a few years,
and q highway will prove a tremen-
dous factor in promoting this de-
velopment."
All phases of the highway situ-
alton in Cameron county will be
placed before the state highway COM
mission At the meeting In Austin
Monday, September NJ, by the dele
CATION Of Cameron representatives.
and confidence was expressed by the
county judge in favorable actor By
the commission on the county's re-
quest for state aid, especially on
Highways Nos. 90 and 100.