Belize City Takes Major Step Toward Long-Awaited Swing Bridge Replacement

After years of public discussion, consultations, and repeated commitments to replace Belize City’s aging Swing Bridge, a substantive step was taken this morning at City Hall in Belize City with the signing of agreements for its reconstruction.  The ceremony officially launched “The Project for the Reconstruction of the Swing Bridge in Belize City,” a grant-funded initiative supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in partnership with the Government of Belize and the Belize City Council.  Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner delivered the opening remarks, noting the bridge’s historic value and its importance as a key transportation link in the Old Capital.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City: “While we cross it every day and may forget its iconic relevance, our Swing Bridge is a rare living piece of engineering heritage. Other swing bridges have been limited to foot traffic elsewhere in the world but ours is much more. For generations it has stood as a beating heart of downtown Belize City a daily crossing point for thousands and a powerful symbol linking our South Side and our North Side communities. It connects not only the two sides of the city, but our past, our present, and our future. Ladies and gentlemen, this project is a demonstration of what happens when vision, partnership, political will, and leadership converge. It is a promise kept and an obligation being delivered. It reflects the kind of infrastructure development that Belize City deserves, a resilient one, a functional one, and built to serve the people for decades to come. As mayor, I see this project as part of a broader vision for downtown Belize City. A revitalized and connected urban center where infrastructure supports commerce, tourism, and community life. The reconstruction of this swing bridge is a cornerstone of that vision and when coupled with climate adaptation ambitions for a floating boardwalk in the Southern Foreshore area it speaks to a promise of a transformed Belize City. And all of these are supported by our green and efficient transit initiatives, which have already passed every metric of success. To the honorable Prime Minister and the central government of Belize, thank you for your steadfast support and your continued investment in Belize City. This project reinforces the government’s understanding that a strong Belize City is economically, socially and culturally and politically smart.”

A project overview was then presented by Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, Julius Espat. He outlined the scope of the works and said the reconstruction will improve safety, durability, and traffic flow while preserving the bridge’s heritage character.

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development: “The current bridge replacement is designed to be a two-span steel concrete positive slab bridge. It will span a length of 42 meters long, placed on a screw to improve the alignment of adjoining streets. The new bridge taper is from a minimum of 14 meters wide to a maximum width of 18 meters at its widest point. I think you have viewed it on the sketches that were presented to us. The cross section accommodates two lanes of traffic, two one-meter wide bicycle lanes, and pedestrian sidewalks that vary from two meters to four meters wide. It is anticipated that the bridge will be fabricated in Japan using corrosion-resistant technology, shipped to Belize, and erected on insitu reinforced concrete foundations. With the preparatory and appraisal stages complete and the implementation officially underway I understand that almost immediately the engineering and supervision consultant will secure to finalize the detailed design so that procurement of a Japanese contractor in Japan may commence by mid-2026. Initially, we were looking at a temporary bridge, which would be used while the construction is occurring so that the traffic can continue. But I have been in consultation with our chief engineer and we have been lobbying with everybody to make sure that that temporary bridge becomes permanent because we’ll be doing it out of reinforced concrete and it would be a waste of money to be investing X amount of millions of dollars to do a temporary bridge and and when the swing bridge is over then we would have to break it and tear it down. So we sat with our engineers and we said why not do a little bit more and have the temporary bridge remain as a permanent bridge that could be utilized by the city council to be able to alleviate more the traffic that the south side of Belize experiences. We will be in communication with the city councils for them to assist us with the traffic flow so that this becomes an easier way. Why is this important for the economic activity of the city? It will increase the value of land in the south side. It will allow the south side to have more access to the north side and vice versa. And therefore, we will be investing in a structure that will also be a permanent structure. So that’s in planning right now. Located at the end of Hyde’s Land this structure will cross the Haulover Creek to line up with West Canal Street, Regent Street West. It is envisioned that the temporary crossing will accommodate single lane vehicular and pedestrian traffic albeit with restrictions on heavy vehicles. Once this temporary, again in parenthesis temporary crossing is in place, the MIDH then immediately moves to remove the existing swing bridge superstructure and leave the site accessible to the Japanese contractor who is scheduled to be able to commence in early January 2027. The construction period for the new structure is approximately two years, with a significant portion of that time dedicating to the foundation work, which involves removing the concrete center and the bridge abutment support. So in reality, the project from signing today, it will be completed at the end of 2028.”

Remarks followed from Japanese Ambassador Ryosuke Yamakura, who reaffirmed Japan’s support for Belize’s infrastructure development, and Hiromi Nai, Chief Representative of the JICA El Salvador Office, who highlighted JICA’s technical and financial role in the project.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francis Fonseca, also addressed the gathering, stressing the importance of international partnerships in advancing national development goals.  The keynote address was delivered by Prime Minister John Briceño, who described the project as a long-awaited investment in Belize City’s mobility and economic activity, given the Swing Bridge’s central role in daily life.  The ceremony concluded with the signing of the Exchange of Notes and the Grant Agreement, formally activating the project.