New Haulover Bridge is Sixth Longest Bridge in Central America

This morning, vehicular traffic was diverted away from the newly built Haulover Bridge, as government officials, including Prime Minister John Briceño and Minister of Infrastructure Development Julius Espat, cut the ribbon on the replacement structure.  It’s a project that was conceived by the previous administration but came to fruition under a People’s United Party government.  Coming in at a little over thirty million dollars, the new Haulover Bridge is the longest crossing in the country and was built entirely by Belizean engineers.  It’s a spectacle of skill and resourcefulness that was overseen by a woman engineer from start to finish.  We begin tonight’s newscast with the inauguration of the new Haulover Bridge.  Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.

 

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development

“It’s a wonderful bridge.  It is an accomplishment for Belizean engineers and for the Government of Belize.”

 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The Haulover Bridge was officially opened today, several months after a soft launch was held to declare the structure passable.  It is a monolith that spans roughly five hundred meters and replaces the previous structure that stood as a relic of Belize‘s colonial past.

 

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH

“It’s the longest bridge that we have in Belize and that was because we had to extend the approaches to the bridge because we wanted to avoid consolidation on the approaches.

 

The new Haulover Bridge is designed to significantly reduce travel time, making transportation more efficient.  Over the years, this crossing near the mouth of the Belize River has proven integral to urban and economic development by facilitating the movement of people, goods and services.

 

Julius Espat

“This new Haulover Bridge, much like its predecessor, holds momentous importance as it symbolizes resilience, strength, ingenuity and embodies the steadfast spirit of our Belizean people.  Today is a day of celebration and thanks, a day to celebrate all the hard work that went into the planning design and construction of this bridge and a day to thank all who helped in getting us here.”

 

Built at a price tag of almost thirty-one million dollars, this well-designed bridge offers a safe crossing point which is particularly important given its location.  Its design and construction has pushed the boundaries of engineering in Belize.

 

Meghan Martinez, M&M Engineering

“When it was found that the old and dilapidated Haulover Bridge had reached its design life and was in desperate need of replacement, the MIDH commissioned us to conduct preliminary studies and presented design options to the Government of Belize.  The process of this project has encompassed several years of planning, starting with preliminary design concepts, soil explorations, surveys, peer reviews and final design.  When we conducted a traffic survey in 2017, it showed us that there were over thirteen thousand vehicles crossing over the old Haulover Bridge.  Today, that number is around seventeen thousand vehicles.”

 

Under the previous administration, projections for the cost of a new bridge were estimated at around fifty million dollars.  What has been built is a superstructure that comes in well under that budget.

 

Evondale Moody

“This bridge cost us thirty point nine million.  We got a loan from the OPEC Fund for twelve million [U.S. dollars] which is twenty-four million Belize [dollars] and so the counterpart was another six [million dollars.]  We were able to build the bridge for the exact thirty point nine and the breakdown between the financing for loans is seventy percent from OFID, thirty percent from GOB.”

 

The Haulover Bridge is not just a physical structure that straddles the estuary of the Belize River, it enables social and economic progress.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We gather here at the mouth of the Belize River to celebrate the opening of a remarkable structure that will not only connect Belize City with the north of our country, but also bridge communities and opportunities.  This new bridge spanning the Belize River here at the mouth of the Haulover Creek stands as a symbol of progress, unity and shared aspiration.  It is an engineering marvel made in Belize by Belizeans and it reminds us of the power of collaboration, innovation and vision.”

 

Isani Cayetano for News Five.