M.O.W. receives road maintenance equipment

The rains that have inundated Belize over the last few weeks have taken their toll on the nation’s streets and roads. It is just in time, then, that we note the arrival of close to half a million dollars in maintenance equipment for the Ministry of Works. The gear includes an asphalt batching plant, compactors, rollers and kettles. Chief Engineer Cadet Henderson explains how the equipment will be deployed.

Cadet Henderson, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Works

“This fleet of equipment will be divided in three units. Initially one unit will be located in the Orange Walk, the Belize and the Cayo Districts. These are areas where at present we have the most dominance of asphalt failure, potholes and the like. As you may be aware, in the past ten years or so we have increased our paved road network by more than a hundred and fifty miles and this really gives us an opportunity to increase our capability to cope with this increased demands on the highway.”

In addition to the maintenance equipment, a weigh station is being established on the Western Highway in Hattieville to measure the kind of loads our roads are being asked to bear. Funding for the maintenance project was provided through an I.D.B. loan with counterpart funding from government.