Numerous works from hardest working mayor causing traffic jam?
If in the past few months you’ve been unfortunate enough to be in a vehicle on the Northern Highway between the Haulover Bridge and the city anytime between the hours of seven am and eight thirty, then you’ve been a victim of the incredibly frustrating traffic congestion. It’s been bad for the past months, but in recent weeks it’s somehow gotten worse. In fact, odds are that if you walk from Haulover to the city, you’d probably reach faster than if you drive. It’s that bad. Logic dictates that it must be connected somehow to the congestion in the city caused by blocked streets, so News Five asked Mayor Darrell Bradley for answers. He was aware of the problem, and certainly sympathetic. But he says that there’s really nothing he can do about it right now.
Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor
Darrell Bradley
“We have indicated that there are battle-nets at certain portions that drive from Boom to the Center of Belize City and you have some bottle nets across the bridge. We also have previous battle neck up to where you have Chetumal Street. So we have already done the studies in terms of how the ease of course. If you extend the highway from Haulover Bridge into the City, and you widen the road, it is going to ease it and a lot of needs to be done with the area beyond the bridge. And of course that is Central government’s jurisdiction. But essentially what it is is that most residence who lived in Belize City moved to Ladyville, move to Burrel Boom. And with the population centers now, there is only one access way into the city and that access way can’t be a two lane road it has to be a wider road.”
Mike Rudon
“So in the short-term, there is no plan in place or no way that you can alleviated that?”
Darrell Bradley
“Well what we’ve tried to do was to have traffic officers out there in the morning. Residents have complained to us that there were lots of overtaking and that is what happens. We’ve hoped that we could divert some of the traffic now. We are going to be using Coney Drive and so we can divert some of the traffic there. That doesn’t deal with the major bottle nets which are closer to where the Haulover Bridge is and beyond the bridge. But the long term solution is for the road to be done.”
If you’re unlucky enough to be caught anywhere by Haulover Bridge at a little past seven, driving to the city generally takes about one hour. With the Northern Highway project on indefinite hold right now, the only advice we can offer at this point is to leave home earlier.
no problem, its a necessary evil for our shoots to enjoy later on, i’m willing to sacrifice despite the inconvenience of bottle necks
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Coach John Wooden.
I noticed with equal parts of amusement and horror yesterday when he was interviewed about bulldozing the bandstands at Battlefield Park, Mayor Bradley said, to the effect, “We’re going to tear these things down, and then sit down with concerned people and figure out what to put in its place.
WHAT AN IGNORANT APPROACH TO ANY WORK! A little planning will go a long way to reducing inconvenience to Belizeans for a long time. But inconveniencing Belizeans is not a consideration for our Mayor. Again, when asked about the homeless who are losing their sleeping spots due do his “work of destruction” in the park, the Mayor said the equivalent of, “Let them eat cake.” Those people are his most vulnerable constituents, and he doesn’t give a damn about them — does he give a damn for the motorists idling away gallons of fuel in traffic jams caused by unplanned roadwork?
Maybe some reporter will ask him.
The most practical immediate solution is to buy a Meilun motorcycle at Universal Hardware on Chetumal Blvd, and by-pass all that crazy traffic lol
This traffic hold-up has been going on for years, worse during school-time, eases off in the school holidays. It has been made worse by the “pedestrian crossings” put in by Brodies, Bennys and the Friendship, all knee jerk reactions due to traffic accidents, and by the traffic merging in from Bella Vista and Belama. Nice to see the Traffic Officers on their motor bikes patrolling the road, wish they could do it every day as nothing is worse than a big SUV coming down the left side of the road ignoring everyone who has been moving patiently at 0.25 miles per hour, the overtakers having to brake and squeeze in where there is no space to avoid oncoming traffic, obviously they are important people and have to get to work to have their breakfast. Shame when they did Chetumal Boulevard they did not finish it and go all the way to the river to meet the bridge they are putting in to meet with the George Price Highway near the junction with Fabers Road, or is this not part of the Mayor’s “Master Plan” he is so happy to go on about, this would definitely ease the traffic congestion