Biggest Road Project Yet? $86M Upgrade from City to Hattieville

A massive road upgrade is about to kick off, stretching from Pound Yard Bridge in Belize City all the way to Hattieville, a twenty-five-kilometer stretch that thousands of commuters use every day. The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing says the project will boost road safety, improve drainage, and strengthen one of the country’s busiest corridors. But is it worth the eighty-six-million-dollar price tag? That’s sixty-nine million from the Caribbean Development Bank and another seventeen million from the Government of Belize. When we caught up with Chief Engineer Evondale Moody today, we asked him straight, could this be the most expensive road construction per mile in Belize’s recent history?

 

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH

“Yes you could say that in terms of the cost of other projects that have been implemented. But, you have to bear in mind that the sixty-nine million that the loan is comprised of that has activities that is built into that, in terms of smaller social programs that has to be implemented under the loan agreement, commitment fees that has to be paid. The funds that you are looking from the government, Capital two funds, those funs will be utilized for the relocation of utilities. They will also be used for land acquisition. Those are the components that the government has to contribute to make the loan successful.”

 

Reporter

“And given that works are supposed to start next year, do you already have the contractor?”

 

Evondale Moody

“At this point in time, we are still in the procurement phase. The bids will be submitted on the twenty-first of January. We will invite you to that bid opening. We want to have a presentation even before that to show you what the procurement procedures are. Once the bids are received on the twenty-first, those bids will be evaluated by an independent consultant who will be overseeing the work on sight.”

 

The ministry will then discuss the recommendations and seek approval from the Caribbean Development Bank.