After Delays and Funding Struggles, BelCan Bridge to Be Rebuilt

For years, Belize City residents have voiced growing concerns about the aging BelCan Bridge; cracks, corrosion, and warnings of dangerous conditions have all pointed to one thing: urgent action was needed. And today, that action has finally arrived. The Government of Belize has officially unveiled the BelCan Bridge Replacement Project, marking a major step forward in addressing long-standing infrastructure issues. The bridge, built in 1969 through a Canadian aid program, has served the city for over five decades. But time has taken its toll. Structural assessments revealed serious deterioration, prompting the Ministry of Infrastructure Development to sound the alarm. Financing, however, remained a hurdle, until now. Here’s a look at how we got here.

 

Zenida Lanza, Reporting

Back in 2022, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development & Housing first sounded the alarm, warning that Belize City’s bridges, especially the BelCan, were in critical condition.

 

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development [File Jul 15, 2022]

“We are doing a feasibility study. I got the opportunity to insert the three bridges as a part of the feasibility and that’s why the initial report was done. Now that we have gotten the approval, the engineers are now working on a preliminary design to be able to come up with the first estimates. Of the three bridges, the BelChina is the best; that needs like normal maintenance – painting and stuff like that. The second is Swing Bridge in how it is holding up. The Belize City Council had done some work a couple years ago and that alleviated it a bit, but it is just like a band-aid effect. The major one is the BelCan. We will have to make a proposal as to that.”

 

By the end of that year, the government was already seeking help abroad. In December 2022, officials announced they were approaching international lenders for support. But finding the money wasn’t easy. In July 2023, they were still shopping around, reaching out to Taiwan, Japan, the IDB, Kuwait, even Saudi Arabia.

 

Julius Espat [File Jul 14, 2023]

 “So we are looking at government of Taiwan, government of Japan, CDB, IDB, Kuwait Fund, Norway. We are looking at Saudi Arabia fund, the Qatar Fund to see what is the best option and at the least rate and to be able to get that done because it is critical and not only those bridges you got to the entire country to maintain the bridges.”

 

 

 

However, by May 2024, the BelCan Bridge was still in disrepair, with no budget committed. Minister Espat said his ministry had done its part, but the hold-up was at the Ministry of Finance.

 

 

 

Julius Espat [File May 9, 2024]

“Again you are dealing with another ministry. I have no clue as to what is in their plans as it pertains to giving us the budget. We have done our job. Our job is to analyze the structures, to alert them as to the urgent need of replacing it. We have done the feasibility study. WE have done the design. We have secured the loan. It is up to the ministry of finance to make the final decision and I have no real input in that.”

 

 

 

A breakthrough came in October last year, when Prime Minister John Briceño and Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca toured the BelCan Bridge with Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, after Taiwan pledged financial support. And today, after years of concern, failed starts, and negotiations, the project will finally become a reality.

 

 

 

“All right. One, two, three. As you can see, this is more than just the bridge. This design reflects modern engineering and resilience, a strong, elegant structure that speaks to connectivity, safety, and growth.”

 

 

 

 

The new BelCan Bridge will be funded through grant financing from the Republic of China, Taiwan. Reporting for News Five, I’m Zenida Lanza.