Cover: Opening of Tamiami Trail on April 26, 1928.
On April 26, 1928, Miami and Tampa were joined when the 284-mile Tamiami Trail (US 41), officially opened. A project that was conceived in 1915 took until 1928 to be officially completed.
To be more specific, it was the North-South portion of the highway that was conceived in 1915. The following year, Brickell Avenue resident Captain James F. Jaudon proposed an East-West portion that would connect Florida’s Gulf with its Atlantic Coast.
After Lee County ran out of money to complete their portion of the highway in 1919, Jaudon proposed to fund the continuation of the highway if the road would be re-routed to Monroe County near land owned by his Chevelier Corporation. Jaudon was a founder and an officer at the Chevelier Corporation. The proposal was accepted.
Figure 1: Map of Loop Road
The Chevelier Corporation laid out the new route for the road and construction resumed in 1921. The portion of the new route is known today as the Loop Road. Following more delays due to lack of funding, the Tamiami Trail finally connected in the spring of 1928. April 26th is the official date that the East-West route to the Tamiami Trail officially opened.
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Images:
Cover: Archway between Dade and Collier County on April 26th, 1928. Courtesy of Collier County Museum.
Figure 1: Map of Loop Road. Courtesy of FloridaPanther.com