The **Hummingbird Highway**, alternatively known as Route AR3 in the internal highway numbering system, is one of the four major highways in Belize. It traverses the Stann Creek Valley from the [[roundabout:9]] in [[settlement:79]] through the Maya Mountains and ends at the [[roundabout:2]] in [[settlement:14]].https://www.nationalassembly.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SI-No.-90-of-2023-Public-Roads-Names-and-Description-of-Highways-Order-2023.pdf It connects the [[road:7]], to the [[road:5]] 6 miles outside of [[settlement:79]]. It partially follows, and sometimes uses the infrastructure of, the former Stann Creek Railway. # History In 1949 a reconnaissance survey was commenced for the Roaring Creek-Middlesex Road, and approximately 18 1/4 miles of road was located. The reconnaissance was completed by the middle of 1950, with another 22 miles surveyed, bringing the total distance to 32.5 miles.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf By March 1954 the Hummingbird Highway was completed with a pavement width of 12 feet.https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/880211468199161639/pdf/UNN22000Britis00development0program.pdf In 1994 the European Union financed the rehabilitation of the Hummingbird Highway.https://www.iadb.org/en/project/BL0001 In 2002 the western approach to the Sibun Bridge was washed away from floods.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/17003 Bridges North Stann Creek Bridge After the railroad closed a new bridge was constructed beside the old railroad bridge in 1939. Then in 1994 this bridge was replaced with the current bridge. 16.989528, -88.400722 Bridge, railroad bridge constructed in 1910 and converted to a road bridge in 1939. The bridge was removed in 2016 and replaced with culverts. ## Etymology This highway was always called the Hummingbird Highway.https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/AA/00/05/43/44/00001/AA00054344_00001.pdf