Keep road's natural beauty

When I first moved to Cape Girardeau in 1970, I quickly came to love the short stretch of Bloomfield Road between Cape Girardeau and Highway 74. It was a little country lane with its large canopy of trees shading the ride. It provided a rare and special natural beauty aesthetically pleasing to the eye and soul. Some years later, when the decision was made to build a new home, the attractive drive led us to seek a lot along this road.

Now some 20 years later, in the name of safety, the decision has been made to rip out the trees and straighten the country lane and make just another highway out of it. I certainly do not wish to see anyone hurt along any stretch of road. However, the reason so many say Bloomfield is unsafe is that too many people try to drive 55 mph when the speed limit is 35 mph. With a straighter treeless road, the speed limit can be increased to 45 or 50 mph. Then people will try to drive 60 or 65 mph, and it won't be any safer than it is right now. In the meantime, in the name of progress, a thing of beauty will be gone. I am afraid it is another example of the pop hit song, "They paved paradise and put up the parking lot."

JOHN KOCH, Cape Girardeau