by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY. Mon. July 18, 2022
The Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, Hon. Julius Espat, has said that two major bridges, the Swing Bridge and BelCan Bridge, in Belize City, need to be replaced due to structural decay that could at some point lead to loss of life if not addressed, while the BelChina Bridge requires maintenance work.
An internal report from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing that was leaked last week contained recommendations that the Swing Bridge and BelCan Bridge be replaced or undergo extensive reconstruction.
The Swing Bridge, the oldest of the three bridges, was built in 1922, making it 100 years old, and according to the leaked Ministry of Infrastructural Development report, the steel supporting the bridge’s rollers, loading pin, and gears is currently showing signs of extensive decay due to rust, and as a result it has lost much of its structural thickness.
Back in May, Minister Espat told local reporters that his ministry was carrying out some assessment of the conditions of the three major bridges in Belize City. And when the local media met with Minister Espat after the House of Representatives meeting on Friday, he explained, “I had commissioned the engineers from the ministry to do an analysis of all the bridges in Belize City. A couple [of] friends of mine that are fishermen that traverse the river on a constant basis were telling me that come and have a look. So they did an analysis of the 3 bridges: Swing Bridge, BelChina, and BelCan, and the report that you’ve seen is the report that they sent to us. I took that report to [the] Cabinet and I requested permission to do a feasibility study. We are presently doing a feasibility study to complete the George Price Highway from Belize City to Belmopan… So 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.”
He further stated, “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 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 [of] years ago, and that alleviated it a bit, but it is just like a Band-Aid effect. The major one is the BelCan.”
Also, the internal report noted that heavy traffic, including public buses, should no longer traverse the Swing Bridge, as it is no longer safe for such vehicles to cross due to the deterioration of its support mechanisms that has taken place over time.
“Yes, the buses and heavy traffic is what they are referring to. It does create more stress on these structures, and so we are trying to mitigate it to a point where nobody gets hurt. But if you are looking at the three bridges, priority number one is BelCan at this point in time; priority number two is Swing Bridge, and we will deal with the BelChina with the resources that we have in-house presently,” he added.
Also, work is currently underway to replace the Haulover Bridge, which connects Belize City to Ladyville. The Hawkesworth Bridge in the western part of the country is also currently being refurbished.