2.3 Belize Road Network

2.3 Belize Road Network The road network in Belize consists of 3,281 km of which approximately 601 km are paved and 2680 km are unpaved. The following roads constitute the four main road networks. They consist of asphalt-paved two-lane roads. Due to continuous maintenance they are in good condition for transportation: - Philip Goldson Highway (formerly Northern Highway), between Belize City and the Mexican border north of Corozal, about 95 miles or 153 km (Referred in the map as “N”) - George Price Highway (formerly Western Highway), between Belize City and the Guatemalan border near Benque Viejo del Carmen, about 81 miles or 130 km(Referred in the map as “W”) - Hummingbird Highway, from Belmopan to Dangriga, about 55 mile or 89 km (Referred in the map as “H”) - Southern Highway, from Dangriga to Punta Gorda (Referred in the map as “S”), 157.3 km Page 1 Most maps also include the Old Northern Highway, which provides access to the Altun Ha ruins. This single-lane road is partly paved, but deteriorates dramatically just north of the access road to the ruins. The Coastal Highway, also known as the Manatee Highway or the Shortcut, connects the Western Highway (48 km west of Belize City) with the Stann Creek Valley near Dangriga. This highway is all gravel and may wash out during heavy rains. The Ministry of Public Works is responsible for planning, construction and maintenance of the country’s roads and bridges, as well as some roads, drains and waterways in cities. There are serious shortfalls in the resources to meet the repair demand of the highways, with nearly all streets having areas of disrepair. Road infrastructure is financed by the national government, as well as by grants and loans from bilateral and multilateral sources, all implemented by the Ministry of Public Works. For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Belize Government Contact List. Distance Matrix Distances from Capital City to Major Towns (km) Belmopan Belize City San Ignacio Benque Viejo Corozal Santa Elena Dangriga Punta Gorda 88 118 130 228 238 89 246 Belmopan 88 118 218 153 163 177 334 Belize City 118 206 12 359 369 207 364 San Ignacio 130 218 12 358 368 219 376 Benque Viejo 228 153 359 371 10 317 474 Corozal 238 163 356 368 10 327 484 Santa Elena 89 177 207 219 317 327 335 Dangriga 246 334 364 376 474 484 335 Punta Gorda Travel Time from Capital City to Major Towns (hours’ minutes”) Belmopan Belize City San Ignacio Benque Viejo Corozal Santa Elena Dangriga Punta Gorda 1’25” 1’55” 2’10” 3’25” 3’35” 1’25” 3’50” Belmopan 1’25” 2’55” 2’10” 2’18” 2’32” 2’52” 4’35” Belize City 1’55” 2’55” 17” 5’12” 5’08” 2’55” 5”20” San Ignacio 2’10” 3’02” 17” 5’30” 5’25” “3’12” 5’37” Benque Viejo 3’25” 2’18” 5’12” 5’30” 14” 4’32” 6’55” Corozal 3’35” 2’32” 5,08” 5’25” 14” 4’32” 7’15” Santa Elena 1’25” 2’52” 2’55” 3’12 4’32” 4’42” 4’51” Dangriga 3’50” 4’35” ‘5’20” 5’37” 6’55” 7’15” 4”51” Punta Gorda Road Security There is very little control on the roads by the police or the state authorities. Traffic signals and speed limits are not much respected. While in villages and along roads, presence of public authorities is weak, the frequency of controls increases close to large cities. Frequent accidents include frontal accidents on the highway between Belize City and Belmopan. On overland transports, weight indication for trucks is not specified. Equally, bridges are not marked with the maximum weight or the number of axes allowed and technical Management is not available. Page 2.

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