Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-03-20
TEXAS DAILY PRESS LEAGUE


The announcement from the state highway commits
sion that state aid will be granted Willacy county for
the construction Of the highway through that county
north and south is generally considered as an indication
that the commission Is working out some plan whereby
the kennedy COUNT gap in the "Hug-the- Coast" highway
eventually will be paved.
It has always been the policy Of the commission 10
refuse aid on highway projects which did not connect
up with some system. In other words the commission
has never aided in the financing Of highways with
"dead ends, and II Is very obvious that unless a high
way is constructed across Kennedy county the service to
be rendered the public by the construction north from
Raymordville would hardly be sufficient to warrant the
expenditure. However, with the Kennedy county ga?
closed, the Willacy county highway will become a link
in one Of the most important highways in the state, a
highway which will carry an immense volume of traffic
between the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Houston, New
Orleans and the North and East.
Daring the past winter thousands Of tourists have
been deferred from entering the Valley on account Of
the condition Of the highway in Brooks county where
the detours have been almost impossible. Tourists
headed for this section Of the state have generally been
informed at San Antonio they would have difficulty in
getting through. and many did experience such diff
Guilty. The result has been a decrease in the number
Of tourists coming into the Valley and every business
interest in this section has felt the effects.
Closing Of the Kenedey county gap viii assure a
highway loop which will attract thousands Of tourists
to this section as well as providing another outlet for
$50 @A1@AA~ 1~NWNNA NAt f0ANSf 4@N ~H4 At &Ht~@
part OF the state. This traffic Is increasing every year,
and would be greatly augmented if a more direct route.
such rs the Willacy county highway would provide,
could be constructed.
what action the state highway commission may take
IN respect 70 the kennedy county project is indefinite
That Kennedy county could not, were the land owners
Of that section agreeable to the project, finance the
construction Of the AZ miles Of paving is obvious. The
county lacks the valuations, the land owners have ex-
pressed themselves in unmistakable terms as opposed
20 a highway across the county, and it is believed that
IL a right Of way is secured it must be through con-
demnation proceedings. This could be handled through
the highway commission, and apparently the only way
to finance the project is through the organization Of
a four or five-county district. in which Kennedy county
would probably not he included, or il included the in
clusion would be under protest.
The counties Of Nueces, Kleberg, willacy and Cam
eron are vitality interested in the Kennedy county pro-
ject. Each Of these counties will receive direct bene-
fits from tn volume Of traffic the highway will carry,
and the action Of the highway commission in reference
to the Willacy county project indicates that the time is
ripe for these counties to get together on some plan
Of organization to handle such financing as may be
required. The cost Of construction, due 10 the proximi-
~ Of caliche beds, will be less than in the average
South Texas county, and in view Of the benefits which
will accrue TO every part Of the Texas Gulf coast Sec
tion, the financing Of this highway would be an invest
ment which will assure very profitable returns to the
counties entering into the district.