When you’re driving, you try to avoid potholes and bumps so your car doesn’t get damaged, but, people in LaBelle say that’s been hard to do on Wheeler Road – it’s a dirt road just covered with them. In a meeting on Tuesday, Hendry County Commissioners are talking about paving it.
Scott Dewey, who lives on Wheeler Road, expressed his frustration, saying “I’ve had a couple of flat tires out here.” Another resident, Polly Wilson, described the road as “bump, bump, bump, bump, bump…really, really bad.”
That’s the reality for some people living on this road right now. Polly Wilson says she and her husband have lived off Wheeler for three years now and have seen the toll it can take on car tires.
“This trailer right here – my husband had to change the tires on it four times in one year,” Wilson added.
She also raised concerns about the health implications, particularly the dust kicked up from the road that she doesn’t want her grandson breathing in when he plays outside.
The proposed project, estimated to cost around $2.5 million, would pave a 2.6 mile stretch of Wheeler road from 13th Place to just north of 23rd Terrace. Hendry County says its been a planned project and is a priority for the county.