Press Release
Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
January 21, 2016
Belize and the Republic of China (Taiwan) 2016 Bilateral Cooperation “Fourth Road (Santa Elena/San Ignacio By-Pass) Project
H. E. Ambassador Benjamin Ho accompanied by Henry Fan, Minister of the Embassy, Mr. Jose Encalada, engineer of Project Executive Unit of the Ministry of Works, Belize, and Mr. Andy Wilding of the BECA International Consultants Ltd. visited “Fourth Road (Santa Elena/San Ignacio By-Pass)” Project site on 20th January 2016.
The Santa Elena/San Ignacio Bypass project comprises: (1) the improvement of approximately 3.2 km of existing highway in the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, (2) construction of a new three span high level bridge over the Macal River, (3) construction of approximately 1 km of new highway on a fill embankment between the northern end of Joseph Andrews Drive in San Ignacio and the Macal River, and (4) the rehabilitation of Joseph Andrew Drive to Benque Road.
The new route will enable traffic on the existing Western Highway to bypass the twin towns on their northern side and will provide an all-weather alternative crossing of the Macal River to the existing Hawkesworth Bridge, which is located approximately 1.8 km upstream of the proposed new crossing. The project was co-sponsored by the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Up to 20 January 2016, items (1)、(3) and (4) of the project have been completely completed. Item (2), construction of new Macal Bridge, has commenced in August 2015 and estimated to be completed in March 2017.
