Last night, commuters and motorists found themselves trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Philip Goldson Highway shortly after crossing the Haulover Bridge. For close to an hour, that very long traffic queue didn't move much, and that's because the Ministry of Infrastructure Development had to mobilize for some emergency repairs.
A press release from the Ministry says that the retaining wall, or revetment at Mile 7, which was constructed in 2009 - to fortify the highway against the push of currents from the Belize River, gave way. A portion of that wall was undermined by the river's undercurrents.
The effective width of the highway has been reduced as a result of this damage, and so, that part of the road is restricted to a one and half-lane access until further notice. The public is asked to exercise extreme caution and observe all safety measures when approaching this area. The Ministry and Infrastructure Development is reviewing options to ensure a well-designed and permanent revetment is built to replace the damaged one.
The Ministry intends to widen a 300-foot section of the highway to ensure that motorists will be able to move safely through that part of the road.
