Temporary causeway across Sittee River opens tomorrow

The destruction of the Kendal Bridge in the Stann Creek district was the single most devastating blow to the nation’s infrastructure by Tropical Storm Arthur. But there is a ray of hope on the horizon as tonight the word out of the Ministry of Works is that starting tomorrow, a temporary solution will be in place for traffic to pass over the Sittee River at Kendal. This evening C.E.O. Cadet Henderson explained how work crews will build a causeway at a low embankment site.

Cadet Henderson, C.E.O., Ministry of Works
“It’s essentially a construction of gravel from the river with a multitude of culverts; more than twenty culverts when it’s completed. I’d say we are about seventy-five percent complete and we hope to have it completed by the end of tomorrow. It will become open to traffic of all categories.”

Kendra Griffith
“How long will it be in place?”

Cadet Henderson
“This is a first attempt to provide vehicular access. This is guaranteed to withstand any major floods but as a second phase of this effort, in a bout three days time we will commence a bridge construction that will be about ninety feet span that will connect to this causeway. This will essentially bridge the deepest part of the river which we have right now a crossing with culverts and gravel that is vulnerable to a day or two of rain. So this will reinforce the durability of the access.”

Kendra Griffith
“Are there any restrictions on this temporary solution like certain vehicles can’t pass or anything like that?”

Cadet Henderson
“No, no. Our expectation is that from cars to the fuel bowsers, commercial industrial traffic can use it. For the time being we have a trailer being towed by a small bulldozer that is taking across the river, any small to medium cargo trucks that require access.”

Kendra Griffith
“And as for the Mullins River Bridge?”

Cadet Henderson
“The Mullins River Bridge is a little secondary in terms of importance but we have already restored access on the ford, which is a low level river crossing that has been there for many years. We have cleared, we upgraded it and we’re using hired private equipment as well as some of our own. So it is trafficable right now using pickups and larger vehicles.”

The U.S. government has committed to giving Belize a temporary bridge until a permanent span is rebuilt. It is estimated that replacing the structure will cost at least ten million dollars and will take approximately one year.