The main streets around San Pedro Town in several subdivisions will end the year with brand new roads. The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) has embarked on an infrastructural project that has left the main arteries in areas such as Marina Drive, DFC, Escalante, San Marcos, San Pablo, San Pedrito, and sections of Bakka Town connecting with downtown San Pedro paved/cemented. According to the SPTC, the next area to see its streets paved is the rest of Seagrape Drive leading to Manta Ray Street along the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II and then moving northward of San Pedro.
The streets upgrade is an ambitious plan to pave 7.5 miles starting from Marina Drive, south of town, through the main streets of each subdivision. The project, an initiative of the SPTC, with support from the central government, will culminate in the last subdivision north of town, San Mateo, where some of its main streets will see the much-needed upgrade. Mayor Gualberto ‘Wally’ Nuñez shared on Saturday, December 16th, that the work continues despite the recent rains having delayed the project’s progress. “The next street to see paving is the rest of Seagrape Drive, starting next to the Caribeña Enterprises gas station. We still need to look at some areas in San Pedrito after Belize Water Services completes its work in those areas.
Then the plan is to start working on the streets in San Juan as we move north,” said Mayor Nuñez. Many San Pedro residents have welcomed this upgrade in infrastructure; however, they have also pointed out the lack of drainage in some areas. The Mayor said such issues would be addressed and all upgraded streets, including unpaved ones, would be provided with drainage. Mayor Nuñez added that when the project is complete, it will be a long-term fix for the once deplorable street conditions. He said that the streets in better conditions will improve the economic growth in the residents’ areas.
As the project continues, the SPTC invites the private sector again to join this campaign to benefit San Pedro’s streets. They suggest that if there are certain streets that stakeholders think should be paved, they are welcome to visit the SPTC offices or even the Area Representative Honourable Andre Perez’s office to discuss a potential partnership to work together.
The paving of the streets started on May 11th on Blake Street south of downtown San Pedro. Mayor Nuñez is asking island residents to be patient as the work will continue over the following months. He said everything is being done carefully and correctly. The Mayor added that such upgrades will directly benefit the residential areas across San Pedro, including some commercial properties along the now concrete street network.
