Belize Seeking Funds to Replace Swing Bridge and Bel-Can Bridge

The government is looking to procure funds to replace two of Belize City’s major bridges, the Swing Bridge and the Bel-Can Bridge. Both structures have suffered degradation to their infrastructure over decades and need to be replaced. The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and House has carried out feasibility studies on both bridges and says replacement designs have been made. However, Minister of Infrastructure Development and House Julius Espat says the government is yet to decide on whether the project will be executed by his ministry or the Belize City Council.

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing: “We are starting the one from Haulover but we’re not sure if it will be done through the city council of Belize or MIDH. The Ministry of Finance will make that final determination but it’s on the table.”

Reporter: And BELCAN and Swing Bridge ?Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing: “BELCAN is the one I’m speaking of. Swing Bridge we are in conversations with the Government of Japan and they are taking keen interest to see if that can be done by means of a grant but as we are aware those negotiations take time and a decision like that had to go through a series of bureaucratic processes on both sides. It’s in that phase but the BELCAN is at the point of Ministry of Finance deciding if it will be executed by the City Council of Belize or if it will be executed by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development. We have done everything to put the technical information on the table meaning the design has been done already and everything is set. Ministry of Finance at the end of the day makes a decision we follow. We are only service providers.”