Three‑Year Upgrade Planned for George Price Highway

A major upgrade is coming to a key stretch of the George Price Highway. The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing has unveiled a three‑year reconstruction project covering the road between La Democracia and Belmopan. Plans include widening the highway, improving flood‑prone sections, and building a new bridge at Mount Pleasant Creek. While officials say they’ll work to limit inconvenience, drivers should be prepared for delays where construction is underway and are advised to drive carefully and follow traffic guidance. We spoke with Chief Engineer Evondale Moody, about what commuters should expect.

 

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH

“The contractor has commenced his mobilization whereby he is constructing his construction camp and offices that will be located along the highway. And thereafter, he will start next week with the setting out of the road width itself whereby we will establish the boundaries of the new width of the highway from Belmopan to La Democracia. His current program basically shows us that he will start works from Democracia coming towards Belmopan. And he will also have a team working from Belmopan towards Cotton Ttree. And he has a third area that he wants to focus on, which is the construction of a new bridge at Mount Pleasant. That is the area that is usually inundated by flood waters whenever we have excessive rainfall within the Belmopan area. And so there at that location at approximately mile forty-five, he will be constructing a new bridge while doing this new bridge. Yes, he will have to construct a diversion whereby traffic will be diverted on the left hand side going east towards Belize City to ensure that we still have a path for vehicle traffic to maneuver on the highway while he construct this new bridge. The intention is to try and start the new bridge within the dry season, which is now so that we could take advantage of the dry season and dependent on how the situation goes in terms of weather pattern for the raining season. Then we will see how that progresses throughout the year. But that bridge itself will take approximately a year and a half for him to construct. We also have major junctions. That the contractor will be constructing. We have a major on the boat that will be constructing at the intersection of George Price Boulevard with the George Price Highway that will bring traffic into Belmopan. So we’ve seen that, that has been a major intersection on the highway and we want to make sure that we improve that junction at least We also have a major junction that we need to build for the new hospital. Which we are incorporating into our design. And so the contractor will also have to do those works as well along the highway.”