The **Philip Goldson Highway**, alternatively known as Route AR2 within the national route classification system, joins [[settlement:12]] through [[settlement:186]] and [[settlement:64]] with the Mexican border at the state of Quintana Roo. # History At a public meeting on March 1845 it was voted on to spend $600 for clearing the Haulover Road and for constructing a large scow to transport cattle at that place.https://dokumen.pub/archives-of-british-honduras-vol-3-from-1841-to-1884.html On January 21, 1848 tolls were introduced for the Haulover Ferry. 10d for every person and 1/8thd per head of cattle or horse.https://dokumen.pub/archives-of-british-honduras-vol-3-from-1841-to-1884.html In April 1866 the Haulover Road was completed.https://dokumen.pub/archives-of-british-honduras-vol-3-from-1841-to-1884.html By 1868 a road already existed between [[settlement:186(1868)]] and [[settlement:64(1868)]] but not to [[settlement:12(1868)]] yet. https://dokumen.pub/archives-of-british-honduras-vol-3-from-1841-to-1884.html In 1923 the first [[bridge:19(1868)]] was constructed replacing the Haulover Ferry.https://amandala.com.bz/news/the-new-haulover-bridge-inaugurated/ The road from [[settlement:186(1925)]] to [[settlement:139(1925)]] was built in 1925.https://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/HistoryofOrangeWalk.html In 1966 the Tower Hill Bridge was built with the first and last toll booth ever in Belize, replacing the ferry that had been there previously. ## Northern Highway The highway was officially commissioned in 1968 as the Northern Highway. On December 3, 1969, the [[bridge:85(1969)]] was completed with a road built to the Northern Highway's junction with [[road:50(1969)]] and [[road:51(1969)]], bringing it from a regular t-junction to a crossroad with slip roads on all sides. Around this time the boulevard was built from the [[roundabout:41(1969)]] to the [[roundabout:39(1969)]].https://ambergriscaye.com/photogallery/210514.html In 1979, 30 miles (48 km) of new highway was constructed by Teichroeb and Sons which brought the route much further to the west between [[settlement:12(1979)]] and [[settlement:186(1979)]], and much closer to [[settlement:76(1979)]], to which a causeway and road was built in 1984. At the same time the Belcan and Buttonwood Bay Roundabouts were constructed[HISTORY CONFLICT].https://www.sanpedrosun.com/politics-and-government/2012/09/29/two-highways-renamed-on-independence-day-in-honor-of-national-heroes/ The [[road:40(2004)]] was completed on September 9, 2004 bypassing [[settlement:186(2004)]] to the east, crossing the [[waterway:206(2004)]] twice.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/12775 ## Philip Goldson Highway On 21 September 2012, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that it would be renamed the Philip Goldson Highway, named after a Belizean activist, editor and politician. The highway passes the international airport also named for Philip Goldson.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/12775 In 2015 the [[roundabout:36(2015)]] was constructed at the [[road:9(2015)]] junction.https://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=30490 During the same year, the [[roundabout:25(2015)]] was also constructed at the north end of [[settlement:186(2015)]] connecting with the [[road:40(2015)]]. In 2018 the stretch of road from the [[roundabout:39(2018)]] to the [[roundabout:36(2018)]] was widened from a two lane highway to a four lane highway with barriers in-between and frontage roads on both sides. And then from [[roundabout:36(2018)]] to Simeon Young Street the road was divided with a median and roundabouts constructed at Beverly Smith Lopez Street and at the North End Estate.https://amandala.com.bz/news/highway-engineers-hambug-belamabuttonwood-bay-residents/ A rehabilitation project was started on June 2021 to repave the Philip Goldson from mile 24.5 in Biscayne to the Mexican Border. The rehabilitation project included the construction of roundabouts at Crooked Tree, south end [[road:106(2021)]] and north end [[road:106(2021)]], and the paving of the gravel [[road:106(2021)]]. Also the straightening of the Mamayal and Tumbaito curves. And then at [[settlement:144(2021)]] the t-junction was made into a curve. Also at this time the Tower Hill Bridge Toll was removed. On March 1, 2022 the [[roundabout:22(2021)]] was constructed.https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/lane-closure-traffic-diversion-at-crooked-tree-junction/ On February 1, 2024 the new [[bridge:22(2021)]] was opened to the public, replacing the old narrow steel truss bridge. On the north end of the bridge a roundabout was constructed.https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Min-of-Infrastructure-Dev-Housing-ATR-2023-2024.pdf On February 3, 2025 a rehabilitation project was started, repaving and upgrading the highway from mile 8 to mile 24.5 in [[settlement:265(2025)]].https://www.greaterbelize.com/road-works-on-philip-goldson-highway-set-to-begin-february-3/ The plan is to build 4 roundabouts at the [[road:49(2025)]] Jct, Lord's Bank Road Jct, Burrell Boom Jct, and [[road:77(2025)]] Jct.

Bridge Detail