Seven months after work began and four months after the Ministry of Works took over to supposedly speed up the process – the paving of Albert Street finally began this evening. But don’t get happy just yet. Before the hot mix is laid down, the entire Regent and Albert Streets need to scarified, or in simpler terms – broken up and levelled which is a part of the final preparation but it’s a process unto itself. And that’s why late this evening, Minister of Works Anthony Boots Martinez told us to hold our horses: it will take another two weeks.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez, Minister of Works
“Between today and tomorrow from King to South Street, that is scarifying and putting down the base and then they will continue on going all the way down and around to Regent Street. Meanwhile the hot-mix is a texture that needs to
be made too. That is in the process of making so when the base is done, then the hot-mix comes afterwards. So we’re looking at a two weeks time frame. But again the complete area will be dust free effective now, at least the portions that they do will be dust free.
They always say when you do something it is best you do it good and we took an amount of time, especially with the sidewalks and everything because we want a good product, and we want a product that has value for money and the people of Belize will be proud of. Of course it had in the initial stages the heng up of the utilities and then come the little rain and so on but we are here and we are here to stay. I think the road will be here to stay. I think we will see a beautiful finish and it will be properly done.”
So the timeline again is another two weeks to prepare the entire area and then a weekend to lay down the hot mix, weather permitting. Work Minister Martinez says they are already discussing the possibility of installing the lights and benches on the sidewalks before Christmas. We’ll see.
