Belize Government Invests Millions in Road Works and Infrastructure in Northern Districts

The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Infrastructure Development is investing millions of dollars in road works, street repairs and drainage in the northern districts of Orange Walk and Corozal.  Chief Engineer Evondale Moody gave an extensive interview to Love News yesterday where he spoke on the works underway and in the pipeline.  

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing:  “Starting with the Philip Wilson Highway Upgrading Project which commences at mile 24.5 Biscayne Village and traverses the Philip Goldson Highway to the northern border. That project is approximately about 80% completed. In terms of project duration we expect to have a substantial completion possible in November of this year for that project including the Rematte* Bypass. We are also working on the Crooked Tree road as we move more north. We have substantially paved that road approximately about 3.5 kilometers from the junction with the Philip Goldson Highway and so what is left is only approximately one kilometer which is the floodway itself or the lagoon. We have not done any work on that section due to the fact that we are still in the design phase in terms of the drainage structures that we have to construct across the Crooked Tree causeway itself. We anticipate that we may have some designs for that section completed maybe within the next few months and thereafter we were going to transit we could get funding for those structures for the lagoon. Moving further north we have the San Estevan Road that we’re currently working on which commences at Banquitas and terminates at the San Estevan Village. The contractor has made good progress with that project. At this point in time we’re working on the installation of culverts, which is the main drainage structures that we need for that road and the contractor is also in the process of placing the sub-base layer in terms of fill for that access road. We expect to have that road completed, I think it’s in December of this year or early January and to have it fully paved and open finally. So the idea was to finally connect from Orange Walk Town to San Esteban.”

Going further north of Belize, works are also being done at the two ferries as well as the Sarteneja Road in Corozal.

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing:  “The other project we have more north is the Sarteneja which commences in Corozal Town and traverses the two ferries, first one being the Pueblo Nuevo and the second one being the Laguna Seca and then that road continues eastwardly towards Sarteneja. To date we have substantially completed the new bridge at Laguna Seca and so we’re working on the approaches to that new structure and once we’re finished with that we would be able to open that bridge and eliminate the ferry that is located at Laguna Seca. In the meantime, the contractor is also working on the construction of the new bridge at Pueblo Nuevo. That bridge is approximately about 30 to 35% completed. And we expect to have that structure completed by the first quarter of next year. It is the intention that based on the program that the contractor has presented to us we should have completion of that project in July/August 2024 in terms of the road and both bridges.”

The Corozal Sarteneja Upgrading Project is expected to be completed by August 2024 while the San Estevan Road Ugrading Project is expected to be completed by December 2023.