A contract was signed on Thursday, May 11th, between the Government of Belize (GOB), Nabeel Abdul Raheem Consultants (NARCO), and BECA International Consultants Ltd for consultancy and supervision of the construction of the Airport Link Road Project. The project, which consists of a stretch of road, approximately five miles long, will intersect the George Price Highway with a bridge crossing over the Belize River near Gentrac Belize Limited and existing airport access road. The road works will be funded by a US$12 million dollar loan, which GOB was approved for in May of 2016 from the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development.
The project also includes the construction of earthen embankments, crushed gravel pavements, and two lanes with paved shoulders conforming to a 100kph design criteria. The bridge structure will have a span of 81.7 metres, three spans at 26.7 metres, and a traffic-able width of 12.05 metres. This will be reinforced with a concrete wall.
The loan will cover 87% of the cost of the civil works involved, for the branch road and will significantly assist GOB with the planned rehabilitation and upgrading of the Philip Goldson Highway between Belize City and Airport Road. The new bypass will also take a lot of pressure off the Haulover Bridge by providing an alternate route in and out of the city.
Other upcoming projects include a new bridge at Haulover, for which the Caribbean Development Bank has already approved a loan of US$13 million at a 3.95% interest rate. Another loan for the same project has been approved from the European Investment Bank, for US$12.5 million at an interest of 2.38%.
No date has been assigned as to when works for the Airport Link Road project will start.
Share
Read more
