They are called Sugar Roads, a vast network of feeder trails connecting cane fields in Orange Walk and Corozal. And while you may never have to drive on one of them, they are the veins that carry the lifeblood of the Sugar Industry. For years, those roads have been in disrepair and during the General Election campaign, the UDP promised to fix the roads if elected. And today they delivered on that with the signing of contracts to pave 56 miles of sugar roads. Mind you, the funding was secured during the term of the previous government, but when the contracts were signed today, the UDP got to claim the victory.
The UDP’S Northern boss, Deputy Prime Minister Gapi Vega explained how the repair of the sugar roads will make life sweet.
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister
“The most important thing is more money in the cane farmers’ pocket. And why I say more money in the cane farmers’ pockets is because we all know the suffering, the pain that all cane farmers go through because of the bad roads that we presently have. We all know that the cane farmers have not had their sugar roads not even maintained much less built in the last administration so this simply means they will be using less tractors to be pulling out their trucks that are bogged because of the bad roads, that they will be breaking less parts of their trucks, that they will be able to get more mileage out of their fuel because they’ll have better roads.”
Work will begin immediately. There are three contracts. The first for $2.4 million is to A&N Construction for the paving of 19 miles. The second is for $2.5 million for the paving of 18 and a half miles to Valley Ranch Enterprises. The third is for $2.2 million for 19 miles and it is awarded to Rodla Construction. Works are expected to start shortly and should be finished in a year’s time.
