$18,000 to Replace Stolen Haulover Bridge Pipes

Now to a bizarre and frustrating situation unfolding at one of the country’s newest infrastructure projects. Just months after the grand opening of the thirty-million-dollar Haulover Bridge, parts of it are already going missing, literally. The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing confirmed today that aluminum piping has been stolen from the bridge, leaving officials stunned and disappointed. The government says this kind of vandalism not only damages public property but disrespects a major national investment. We spoke with Chief Engineer Evondale Moody, who shared more on this troubling incident.

 

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH

“We found out that a section of the aluminum bullet rail that is basically on top of the jersey barrier that separates the carriage wave from the pedestrian footpath. We observed that approximately thirty meters of that rail was removed, and it was basically saw cut because that was the only way that they could have removed it. And so we just wanted to reach out to the public so that they could be aware of the facing of the infrastructure, which is a key asset for the Government of Belize and also for the MIDH. And we believe that we need the public’s assistance so that they could inform us when these things are occurring, if they see it, because there’s no way that we could oversee and monitor all our assets 24 hours a day. What we would have to do is will a new section in between. Because the rail itself is a continuous rail all the way across the bridge structure, and it’s also in an attachment whereby it strings through a hole itself on the bridge. And so there was no elsewhere for you to steal it, but to cut it. And so yes, can be repaired. However, something like that has cost us approximately, will cost us approximately eighteen thousand to replace, because when we built the bridge, the rate for that rail was six hundred dollars per meter. Meter is only three feet, three point two eight feet to be exact. And so to replace that intersection we will have to spend to replace it.”