Southern Belize to See Major Infrastructure Upgrades, Including Joe Taylor Bridge Replacement

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing has several ongoing projects in southern Belize that motorists can expect to see this year. Chief Engineer Evondale Moody was a guest on our Morning Show this week, highlighting numerous projects, such as upgrades to the Philip Goldson and George Price Highways. For the south, Moody said that the replacement of the Joe Taylor Bridge in Punta Gorda is expected to be completed in March. The project, which began last year, will see the bridge upgraded from one to two lanes and include pedestrian footpaths.

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH: “That’s an important project for us as well. That bridge has been long overdue for us to replace. So we were glad when we started that project last year. We expect that project will be completed by March this year. We’ve already completed the two abutments for that bridge. We also completed the two intermediate piers. We’ve completed one section of the deck and so there’s only two more sections left for us to pour, place those beams and then the bridge will be completed. It’s a two-lane bridge structure with a pedestrian footpath as well.”

Troy Gabb, Host, The Morning Show: Okay, because it was a single lane before. 

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH: “Correct. So that’s basically showing the approach into Punta Gorda, where we have to raise with some retaining wall as well and then raise with some fill to elevate the bridge structure. So that is making good progress. We were supposed to be completing that project in December but because of the intense rainfall that has created some delays on us as well.”

The Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway, which has already seen upgrades between six miles and Silk Grass, is also expected to have another portion redone with hot mix.

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH: “The last time we upgraded the former Southern Highway was about 20 years ago and so it had passed its life for us to do some periodic maintenance. And so what we decided to do was to do a hot mix asphalt overlay of the first section, so the idea is to upgrade from mile six to Kendall Bridge with the hot mix and then thereafter we want to look at going from Kendall towards Independence. So that’s the plan.”

Rene Villanueva, Host, The Morning Show: The hot mix holds up better than the chip and seal right ? 

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH: “Most definitely, yes. And so we want to try to move away from using the chip and seal because of the intense rainfalls that we’ve been having and also the amount of traffic that has increased in our country especially with the articulated vehicles. It has created a number of problems in terms of the turning movements, creating potholes. And so the idea is to move into the hot mix. Ideally, we would like to move directly to concrete because that’s the optimum pavement to use but in terms of economic costs, we have to look at one step at a time.”

Moody added that the Ministry is also preparing to mark highways with thermoplastic paint. He said that the government has invested just over half a million dollars to procure a new thermoplastic paint machine, which will be rolled out in the coming months