The times-news., 1938-08-18
GULF
COAST ROAD
Land, Ferry Route Would
Be 1000 Miles Long;
280 Water Miles
By OTTO JANSEN
United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent nj
WASHINGTON, Aug. lS. (UP)
A 4,OOO-mile highway" encircline
the Gulf of Mexico by way of
Florida, Cuba and Mexico is en-
visioned by E. W. James, chief
Of the division of highway trans
port of the U. S. bureau of pub
lie roads.
This road may be 4 dream to-
day, but tomorrow it may be a
reality" the engineer said.
James first put forward the
idea in an address at the opening
of the Overseas highway connect
ing the Florida mainland to Key
West, and later explained it fur
ther to the United Press.
"It has perhaps been the good
fortune of road authorities of
Florida to have it upon a project
in the Overseas highway which
may constitute the critical part of
a highway that will be different
from anything ever before at
tempted in this line" he said.
"This mere fact that the high
way from the Florida mainland to
Key West literally goes to sea
makes it unique among highways
of the world.
CONNECTIONS BY FERRY
THE fact that there are pos
sible connections by ferry first to
the island of Cuba and then be-
tween Cuba and the peninsula of
Yucatan furnishes food for the
imagination in visualizing this
project that is certainly, not pres
ent in any other undertaking now
in the field of public works." he
said.
The water distance on the en-
tire proposed route would total
only 280 miles. About 600 miles
of new highway would have to be
built through Yucatan. Good
roads exist along all the rest of
the route.
Roughly, the highway would
follow a large circular route
around the gulf. Starting at Key
West, the traveller would ferry
across to Havana, distance of
about 100 miles. Taking to the
land again, he would traverse
about one-ffth the length Of the
island to a point on Guadiana bay.
Boarding another ferry, he
would journey 1S0 miles across
the Yucatan channel to the Mexi-
can mainland. During his brief
voyage he would cross the path
of the Spanish discoverers, con-
quistadores and buccaneers.
unfortunately this country has
few roads, although roads could
easily be built, and today the cas-
lest way and the only modern
way of travel from the rest of
Mexico to Yucatan is by steamer
or airplane," James said.
"A road through this region
passing up the Gulf to Vera Cruz
would make it possible to visit
only Chichen liza but Palenque
and the ruins in southeastern OAK
aca and western Chiapas.
THROUGH ANCIENT MAYA
"Tulum, Uxmal and Mayapan
of ancient Maya would be brought
within reach of the interested
traveller by short connecting
roads, and a rich and almost vim
gin field would be open to the
archaeologist and to the histor-
ian.
"Most of these places are to-
day practically inaccessible except
to the explorer" he said.
"a few miles below Vera Cruz,
the present constructed highway
terminates. From this point it is
possible to drive into that port,
established by Cortez as the first
Spanish settlement in Mexico.
From Vera Cruz, the roads are
open to Pueblo and Mexico City.
Arriving in Texas; the traveller
would journey east over the old
Spanish trail, passing the Span
ish missions of San Antonio, part
of the old Texan republic and its
battlefields, the Acadian lands of
Louisiana and other historic points
along the route.
ACROSS TO JACKSONVILLE
Finally, he would arrive back
in Florida at Jacksonville. Since
the Overseas highway was COM
pleted, the traveller can journey
over excellent roads all the way
to Key West, thus completing the
circuit.
James pointed out that persons
wishing to travel from Jackson
vile to Mexico City could save
about 200 miles by using the
"Gulf highway" instead of max
ing the trip entirely over land. At
present. those wishing to go to
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