The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) will seek to viability to the Belize 2 Bridge project, which was suspended early 2024 due to lack of payment. To continue the works, the authorities must make the pending payment to the Executing Company Muratori, said Rodrigo Orellana, technical deputy director of the General Directorate of Roads (DGC).
“We want to resume already, already reactivate the work as soon as possible by doing the relevant budget allocations. This is a process that takes a little time because the fee is requested and rises to finance,” said Orellana.
He explained that the Civ works to comply with the protection granted by the Constitutional Court (CC), which forces to resume the work and present a work plan.
At the time, the head of the portfolio, Miguel Ángel Díaz, said that there were two problems that hindered compliance with what was dictated by the CC; However, at Orellana’s discretion, those obstacles are already being solved.
“The other situations of procurement of the area or movement of posts, all that is part of what the project entails, but we are to solve the challenges that are being given in the execution of the works, and naturally here certain situations will be given, but nothing out of the obtainable,” explained the deputy director.
The first inconvenience was related to the bridge Las Vacas is cultural heritage, so it is required guarantee of the Ministry of Culture to intervene in that structure. However, according to the Department of Restoration and Reparation of Cultural Assets, there is viability to intervene the bridge, provided that the Civ justifies, through a study, the actions provided for in the structure.
The second problem is the right of road with at least 39 properties that invade part of the train roads. In this case, the DGC justified that verifications have already been made and most people recognize that part of their homes are on the property of the State.
“The right of way already, by the nature of the project, we have it, because we have the right of railway, which is where we are executing. It is owned by the State, then Fegua has it fully legalized,” said Orellana.
He added that the majority of homes will be invaded slightly to develop the structure of the bridge.
“The vast majority know that they were invading the right of railroad and are mostly neat to retire. Many of these are provisional constructions such as the sheet or only Maya, few constructions are serious,” he said.
According to the Order of the CC, as of May 27, the Ministry has a period of 30 business days to present a continuation plan of the work, which according to the Guatecompras portal, has an 8%advance.
Foscolo Liano, legal representative of Grupo Muratori, indicated that they have not yet been notified to resume the construction of the Belize 2 Bridge, but they are willing to continue whenever the pending payments are canceled.
“We have more than a year of being waiting, we have had a series of technical meetings of diverse type, but I think that following it is a very close decision because this project is a nation project,” said Liano.
Once the administrative situations were solved, the works would be resumed on the 20th Avenue in Zone 6, with the installation of batteries that will allow the construction of a second level.
“The project carries two levels that pass along the Railroad Avenue, reaches Portales Zone and the entry of Mariscal Zavala (…) The first plant is expected to the height of the railway line so that in the future it can be used to carry out a mass of mass transport,” said the technical deputy director of Caminos, Rodrigo Orellana.