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Yes or no to highway expansion?

By RACHEL ROTH and Alexandra Giovagnoni
Published February 13, 2007

Junior Journalism is a partnership between the Citrus Times and the Citrus County School District to encourage writing. Eighth-graders were asked to compose a narrative or expository essay on a provided topic. Two top essays were selected at the district level from the participating schools' winning essays. The topic: Officials have unveiled plans to extend the expressway through Citrus County. You are the student reporter who must report on this story. Expository: Think of the best route for the expressway through Citrus County and explain why. Persuasive: The county is divided on whether the expressway is a good thing. Choose a position for or against the expansion and persuade your reader to agree. These are the essays from the two eighth-grade Junior Journalism winners.

Expanding highway would reduce crashes

Florida has many highways and expressways throughout its state. Almost every month another road is created. Every day a question floats through each person's mind: "Which road will take less time?" or "What route should I take?"

After overthinking the continuation of the Suncoast Parkway, I've concluded that it would be advantageous to motorists if it is continued through Citrus County. U.S. 19 is the most congested highway in Citrus County. Since Florida only has a few major state highways, this one is always frantic.

Every day people in Citrus County are complaining of getting to work late, having too much traffic, or stopping too frequently at red lights. With the parkway these aggravating experiences would be avoided.

I can look back to one dreadful day when I got stuck with my mom to go run errands. We were driving down 19 bumper to bumper when "SCREECH!" the driver in front of us comes to a sudden stop at a red light.

My mom slams on the breaks and hollers, "What an IDIOT!" For the rest of our ride we hit every red light on 19. It was stop, go, stop, go. (I began to feel my breakfast.) I was thinking, "If the Suncoast Parkway ran through Citrus County, all of this would be avoided." The question is frequent jerky stops, or smooth sailing through Citrus County. Which one would you choose?

Major Highway 44 is another one of Citrus County's cruisers. With everyone crowded up on one highway it can cause loads of problems, one of those being many car accidents.

I recall one day when my sister and I were driving down 44. It was bumper to bumper (as usual), and I had my eye on two cars that were pretty close together. I knew at any moment that they were going to hit, but I just didn't know when. Then my prediction came true, (I must be psychic), and the car in front slammed on their breaks, and the car behind nailed the other.

As we drove further down the road we spotted another accident! This one was much worse. This accident had a congregation of people surrounding it. It involved two extremely twisted up cars and two very injured people. The cars looked as if they had come straight from a demolishing center.

I had seen enough, but as we drove further down 44 we then saw a five-car PILEUP! It was unimaginable. I had seen three accidents within 30 minutes! (And because of the accidents the road was all blocked up.)

If Suncoast Parkway ran through Citrus County we could elude all of these accidents. Who in their right mind would want to get into one of those?

If it was up to me I would with no doubt include the Suncoast Parkway in Citrus County. The hectic rush trying to get to work on time because there is so much traffic, and the fear of getting in a fender bender.

Highway would help if a disaster hit

Citrus County officials have unveiled their plans to extend the expressway through Citrus County.

There are many reasons the expressway should be built. If a disaster like a major hurricane were to threaten our area, the state does not have enough routes out of the city. Traffic will be at a standstill just like the people in New Orleans were when Hurricane Katrina hit. Our expressways would not be able to handle the number of vehicles that would have to evacuate in a disaster.

The expressways we use every day are already clogged with rush hour traffic. With the new people who are moving to the area, the traffic dilemma will only get worse if we don't start building new expressways.

This project would benefit all of us who live in the county because it is a quicker way to the Tampa airport. No more two-hour drives. This expressway would almost certainly bring more industry to the county; therefore, it would create more job opportunities closer to home.

Construction of this expressway is extremely important to all of the residents who live here and those still to come. It is long past time for this plan to begin.

[Last modified February 13, 2007, 06:37:21]