As we showed you on Friday, recovery efforts are reaching the affected communities
in southern Belize, but there’s one part of the story that’s not
been told. We’ve shown you what’s happening right up to the Kendall
Bridge, but the big question is what’s happening beyond that? Acute shortages
have been reported in the south as supplies are only trickling south across
the Sittee. And getting material, produce and people across from south to north
is a story unto itself. All told, it’s left a full one third of the country
somewhat isolated, almost on an island.
So far, businesses and productive enterprises have been making do, using heavy
equipment to get across the river, but it greatly increases the cost and practicality
of doing business. But the Ministry of Works says it has a plan. As soon as
the river level goes back to normal, where it almost is already – they
will construct a partial causeway with a short bridge element. In fact, work
on this causeway is already 70% completed and it should be finished by Wednesday.
After that, the short bridge should be installed in time for the weekend.
But that’s only good for dry weather, and something for the medium term
will be required. The Ministry hopes to put in a temporary bridge, known as
a bailey bridge. This will be done with the assistance of the U.S. military.
In the long term, it’s probably take a year or possibly more to construct
a permanent bridge to replace the 237 foot span Kendall Bridge that had served
for 33 years.
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