2 main thoroughfares to be closed for upgrades

On Wednesday, the prime minister announced a multimillion dollar package to improve infrastructure. In Belize City, the incessant rains have extensively damaged roads around the city and motorists find themselves plunging axel-first into the huge craters. But motorists have another hurdle to cross because leading up to the holidays, two main thoroughfares will be closed. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has more on the road closures.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Motorists entering and leaving the Old Capital from its entrance along the George Price Highway will suffer the inconvenience of an alternate route in the upcoming days, as the Belize City Council commences the reconstruction of that stretch of road.  For quite some time now that thoroughfare has remained in poor condition and while it is an untimely decision to carry out the necessary road works during the Christmas season, City Hall says it is making the best of the stable weather conditions.

Kenneth Morgan, Public Relations Officer, Belize City Council

Kenneth Morgan

“The two major thoroughfares that will be affected in this phase of the work will be the George Price Highway from its junction with Partridge Street to its junction with Vernon Street.  That entire segment will be concreted and, as you know, right now it is in a very deplorable state.  We have received many complaints and queries about it so with the weather now permitting this is a priority area for us and this will be one of the projects that we are talking about today. For the larger vehicles, the delivery trucks, the trailers and the buses we are requesting that they utilize Western Avenue and Vernon Street for the entry into and exit from the city.  For smaller vehicles we ask that these motorists use Vernon Street coming into the city off the George Price Highway, leading into Partridge Street.  And this is so as not to cause too much congestion and slow up the flow of traffic.”

Similarly, the roundabout at the entrance of the Phillip Goldson Highway will be partially closed to vehicular traffic while repairs on the circular remain ongoing.

Kenneth Morgan

“Now what the traffic officials and the engineers have decide is to facilitate the flow of traffic around the roundabout by keeping, we will maintain one lane open.  Now the contractor has told us that this work could be done in between five to seven days if we close the roundabout completely and allow them to go ahead.  But because we don’t want to inconvenience the driving public anymore than absolutely necessary we have agreed with him that he shall keep one lane open to facilitate the flow of traffic around the roundabout into and out of the city which will lengthen the process of the project to about ten to twelve days.”

Meanwhile construction has begun on Douglas Jones Street.  From its intersection with North Front Street to its junction with Freetown Road, concretization is underway.  That closure, motorists would attest, has forced a detour from New Road.

Kenneth Morgan

“Douglas Jones Street in its entirety should be completed by the tenth of December.”

The closure of the aforesaid streets begins over the weekend. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.