Swing Bridge renovation
It hasn’t even been six months, but to most of us — whether we walk or drive — it seems like an eternity since the Belize City Swing Bridge was closed for repairs. And if you’re wondering what’s going on behind the wooden walls and how soon you can go back to your old driving and walking habits, Channel Five’s Patrick Jones has some answers.
Behind these makeshift walls at both ends of the old – I mean – rehabilitated Belize City Swing Bridge, a group of men from Shipyard in the Orange Walk District is slowly transforming this weather-beaten, historic landmark into a thing of… if not beauty, at least respectability. Wayne Williams is the supervisor of the Swing Bridge Rehabilitation Project.
Wayne Williams, Site Engineer, Ministry of Works
“Most of the members had to be changed. The only remaining members are the two main girders and the center beams that hold the rotating table. The bridge has its same original design. As I said it’s a refurbishing of the bridge, a rehabilitation of the bridge where we just substitute members that have been deteriorated.”
Built in 1923, the Belize City Swing Bridge has been on borrowed time for more than a couple of years. But Williams says you wouldn’t know it by just riding or walking on the bridge.
Wayne Williams
“I guess a lot of the boat people can understand, they would think the same thing because, the decking that was on this bridge was in a very good state. So people crossing over the bridge couldn’t have an idea of what was under, but if you had passed underneath the bridge then you would have understand the state of which the bridge was in.”
With the replacement of rotted beams, worn out bearings and other support structures, the Swing Bridge will be as good as new when it is opened to public again early next year. Sixty percent of the restoration has been completed.
Wayne Williams
“We are hoping that the bridge can be finished ahead of time but we have to hope that the weather permits. Presently we are working on schedule, even though we have some bad weather, some days very hot and as you can see it’s a lot of welding being done here, that’s additional heat with the sun. And some days we have rain.”
Patrick Jones
“But the workmen are not the only ones being inconvenienced. Motorists trying to go from the northside to the southside, or vice versa, now have to go all the way around to the Bel-China or Belcan Bridges. Pedestrians at least have the temporary bridge spanning the Haulover Creek between Hyde’s Lane and Regent Street West.”
According to Williams, upon completion, the revitalized Swing Bridge will be turned over to the City Council for operation and upkeep. But the handing over won’t be without the necessary facilities to make the maintenance work easier. For instance, a program is being designed to ensure the bridge is assessed every two years and fully inspected by the chief engineer every five years.
Wayne Williams
“We are presently working on a maintenance program for the bridge. I feel that the problem was that the method in which the bridge had to be maintained, especially the center pivot that had to be greased. To reach that point you had to go under the bridge. We are putting in a system where we’re going to use hydraulic hoses and run the hoses up to the level of the bridge so that you don’t have to go under. The bridge can be oiled and greased from the level that the trucks or pedestrian pass.”
Presently the main gear to the bottom is being manufactured at the workshop in Shipyard. After that we’ll sand blast the middle to clean and paint, then we’ll paint the bottom. I must say we are using a paint, because of the adverse condition. We are putting an asphalt based paint and then we are going to put the decking and then place the concrete on top, and painting of the bridge.”
Patrick Jones
“Eight hundred and sixty-three thousand dollars is being spent on the restoration program. The project supervisor Wayne Williams says that with proper maintenance, the bridge should be good for another seventy-five years. Patrick Jones for News Five.”
The new material for the Swing Bridge was imported from Miami.
In other bridge news, the Ministry of Works is currently rewiring the Belcan Bridge so that it can start swinging again. The electric motor which has been malfunctioning has to have its panel reconfigured and the company that built it in Canada has gone out of business. The work should be completed by the end of this month or early November.
