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Placencia is one of Belize’s most popular tourist destinations but the road there is one of the country’s worst. And that is why it was a big deal this morning when finally Government signed a contract with CISCO Construction for the paving of the Placencia Road. GOB will spend $25 million to pave 23 miles. 4 Ministers, including the Prime Minister, attended this morning’s ceremony at the Inn at Robert’s Grove. Minister of Works Boots Martinez says construction will begin immediately.

Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez, Minister of Works
“Actual physical work begins next week. You will see even throughout the whole road that they will be working simultaneously. So the upgrading process will begin almost immediately. 23 miles of complete paving of road and you have about 7 miles of sidewalks in various villages. So it is 7 miles of sidewalk and drainage in some of the villages. It is a two year contract but that two year entails, if you have terrible inclement weather and so but I think this project can be completed between 14 and 16 months.”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Minister of Works Boots Martinez signed on the dotted line of the contract while John Woods signed for CISCO Construction. The Caribbean Development Bank is funding the $25 million project and the Prime Minister says the fact that his government finally and quite quickly secured funding speaks volumes.

Hon. Dean Barrow,
“I am here to send the proper signal which is that this is a huge project for the national government of this country and it is also a sign of the commitment of the administration to the tourism industry. So from all different angles, I think it was important that I be here.

CDB and all the external funding agencies are convinced that this government is committed to proper stewardship, to honest administration. That is able to unlock doors at a speed that we have not hitherto seen. In fact it is able to unlock doors that previously had been slammed severely shut.

This is symbolic of the new order of things and the progress that will now be made as a consequence of what I continue to stress and what I will say until perhaps I begin to sound like a broken record, the government, the new government’s fundamental commitment to honesty, openness transparency.”

The other Ministers present were the area’s representative Melvin Hulse, Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Junior, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Works Edmund Castro. As Works Minister Boots Martinez mentioned, work starts Monday and while it is scheduled for completion in 2 years, Government hopes it can be finished in 14 months. CISCO’s CEO John Woods says that the construction will be challenging because of dust and the distance.