Inauguration of Haulover Bridge Marks Milestone in Infrastructure

Yesterday saw the inauguration of the Haulover Bridge at a cost of just over 30  million dollars.  During the ceremony, Minister of Infrastructure Development, Julius Espat announced that while the Haulover is a significant milestone, there are other works in the pipeline to benefit residents across the country.

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing: “In the next few months hopefully the Government of Belize through the MIDH will launch the rehabilitation of the entire George Price Highway rehabilitation project which will see the construction of four new bridges as well as incorporate other climate resilient and road safety measures. Resilient infrastructure is but one step in ensuring our overall objective is met. In this regard policies such as the National Climate Change Policy, Strategy and Action Plan are being implemented with the goal of guiding the short and long term process of adaptation in accordance with national priorities and regional and international commitments. Ladies and Gentlemen this government remains focused and committed to building a better more resilient and economically bountiful Belize.”

Espat said that the Ministry is pushing for several high-priority projects including the works on the Belcan Bridge in Belize City, which he said is unsafe. Other priority projects include flood mitigation works for Belize City.

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing: “Priority for us is the BelCan. If somebody gets hurt it will be a problem. We have been signaling it for three years now. Our engineers just came under the bridge again and it’s obvious. The bridge that fell in Baltimore can give you an idea what can happen. It’s a smaller scale, we don’t have the level of traffic but it can happen. If we have enough money to spend on other things I think we should spend on priority project that being one. The George Price Highway in our humble opinion is important, you’ve driven it at night, it’s not safe, the shoulders are coming in, accidents you look at the rate of accidents on that highway and it’s alarming that is another priority. For us the flooding for Belize City that project is taking into consideration climate resiliency where Belize City floods at a minimum storm and so this project is taking into consideration moving the water that comes down before it reaches the city to be able to be taken out by the Old Belize area and by Hattieville. We consider that to be important and to be a priority and my job is to lobby for it and defend it and push for it. I have no shame in that.”

The Government is receiving international funding for several of the projects, including funds from the Government of Japan.