The road leading to the Secret Beach area on the northwest part of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, has seen upgrades since January 15th. The damages to the road are due to the heavy annual rainfall of the season. As the rainy season has ended, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) has started rehabilitation works on this road, a primary artery for the residential and business community living along this part of the island. The road repairs will improve access to one of Ambergris Caye’s most popular recreational spots.
Councillor Ernesto Bardalez and Mayor Gualberto ‘Wally’ Nuñez are spearheading the much-needed road upgrades in partnership with the business sector operating in Secret Beach. Councilor Bardalez shared with The San Pedro Sun that the road work aims to greatly benefit the Secret Beach business community and the thousands of patrons visiting the area. He said repairs were needed following the torrential rains from late last year. The plan is to have the road in better condition. “It is necessary, especially given the fact that we are in high tourism season,” said Bardalez. The Councillor added that the same attention was given to other road networks on the island with deteriorated streets. These included sections of the northern and southern roads.
A couple of islanders and even tourists shared that driving to Secret Beach is expected to be a smooth ride with the upgrades. Secret Beach is approximately seven miles north of San Pedro Town. Many who have visited the popular area report that it can take up to 45 minutes to get there. According to them, the deteriorated road adds additional time to get there. With the recent road rehabilitation, driving to this western beach area should take less time. Another benefit shared by the Councillor is that landowners along the Secret Beach area will see the value of their properties rise because of the road upgrades.
2022 Road rehabilitation and lighting project
A similar project took place in November 2022. Major road works took place to enhance the road affected by the torrential rains at that time. In addition to these road repairs, Bardalez mentioned that they planned to install solar lights. To conduct the project, the SPTC sought assistance from the business community. The lighting project was in phases due to the length of the road. There remain areas without street lights, and SPTC has not confirmed when they will complete the project.
As this part of the island continues to develop, other projects are needed to provide more vital services, including running water and electricity from the national grid. Secret Beach residences and businesses currently power their operations via solar energy or generators and use water cisterns. For now, the focus includes road rehabilitation and working on providing proper road lighting.
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