Another project CEO Gentle told us about is the upgrade of the Coastal Road as well as the Phillip Goldson Highway. He told us more about those projects and also warned drivers that is it still their responsibility to drive safely.
Errol Gentle, CEO, Ministry of Works
"For years we have been trying to upgrade the coastal highway. Finally with the grant from the UK and the loan, it is a blend from CDB we will be able to upgrade the entire coastal road, the study for that is ongoing we are almost at the end of the study and after the study comes the design and once you get the design you get to put it to tender and so I can see in the last quarter of this year we will be able to put it out to tender but from that loan facility we also have the upgrade of the Phillip Goldson Highway from mile 24 and a half all the way to the border that will also include what is known as the Remate by passs so once that is done we will have all our major highways fully upgraded to international standards."
"I don't think it can be overemphasized the importance of safety, the importance of drivers obeying the rules of the road because we see every time we upgrade a highway and even now when you travel around the George Price highway through the construction zone you see people racing and I am begging and pleading to drivers to please be considerate of other road users. We are upgrading the road to international standards, but the highway has to be used by all by motorists, by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians and we have to mindful of each other."
"I also need to ask pedestrians; your safety comes first and your life comes first and as regrettable as it is once the life is lost you can't do anything about it."
And as you may remember, a pedestrian did lose her life in early February on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Marlena Mortis climbed over the barriers and tried to dodge oncoming traffic to get to the other side, but she ended up in the path of a driver heading towards Belize City. She was hit and died on the spot form her injuries. CEO Gentle says that the driver's speed and Mortis' refusal to take the safe route caused this accident.
Errol Gentle, CEO, Ministry of Works
"There are a couple things that needs to be done because if that driver was not speeding then maybe that woman would not have died that is the first thing, the second thing is we need a change of attitude, we need a change of behavior yes it is true the city, it is an urban area but we are now talking about development, we are talking about a 4 lane highway."
"There is absolutely no way you want to walk across a freeway. If you right across the border to Mexico or the states, I am certain you would not do that and we have to cherish our lives you don't want to put any speed bump along the freeway."
"We have sidewalks on both sides 900 meters of secure sidewalk that pedestrians can walk and I mention if you use to walk across the street to go the store in the past. We are talking about development and the exercise is good, you have to walk the 20 meters to the round about or you go to the shop on your side."
