The Coastal Plain Highway is a major highway in eastern Belize. It runs from the [[road:7]] in [[settlement:137]], south to the [[road:8]] in [[settlement:120]].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 ## Route Description The Coastal Plain Highway begins at a junction with the [[road:7]] in [[settlement:137]]. It then runs southeast through remote and lightly-populated rural areas, before turning east to round Sugar Valley Hill. After the hill, the highway turns south to serve the villages of [[settlement:176]] and [[settlement:103]] before terminating at a roundabout with the [[road:8]] in [[settlement:120]]. This roundabout was constructed as part of the 2016-2023 Coastal Highway project. For its entire length, the Coastal Highway is paved with asphalt and features 4 feet (1.2 m)-wide paved shoulders, with an additional unpaved margin. The speed limit ranges from as high as 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) in wide open areas, to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) on tighter curves, which also feature guardrails. At major intersections and near settlements, advanced rumble strips and speed bumps accompany a reduction in speed to 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) or less. Mile markers are posted every mile, increasing from [[settlement:137]] to [[settlement:120]]. # History Coastal Road was created sometime around 1986 by merging sections of the [[road:72(1986)]] and [[road:73(1986)]] and extending the road from [[settlement:103(1986)]] to [[settlement:137(1986)]]. The roads surface was originally constructed from gravel or dirt, and frequently washed out during the rainy season. Some bridges were constructed from wood and were wide enough to allow only one vehicle at a time. In 2001 Cisco Construction Company paved the first mile in [[settlement:137]].https://stanncreekvalley.weebly.com/mullins-river.html Starting in 2016, the government of Belize developed a plan to upgrade the road to a bituminous surface. The Caribbean Development Bank provided a BZ$73.2 million loan, while the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund granted BZ$68 million. The Government of Belize provided BZ$17.2 million. The total cost of the project was BZ$158.4 million.https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2020/02/24/new-coastal-highway-upgrade-to-commence/ Six new bridges were built, with four additional bridges rehabilitated.https://www.midh.gov.bz/sixth-road-coastal-highway-upgrading-project/https://www.caribank.org/publications-and-resources/resource-library/booklets-brochures/belize-project-profile-coastal-highway-upgrading Politecnica, an engineering firm based in Modena, Italy provided technical designs in 2018-2019 for the project.https://www.politecnica.it/en/progetti/coastal-highway-belize/ Contracts for the construction were awarded to Imer Hernandez Development Company Limited, and construction began on February 24, 2020.https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2020/02/24/new-coastal-highway-upgrade-to-commence/ ## Etymology The road used to be called the Manatee Highway named after the Manatee Forest Reserve that lay on the west side of the highway but it was most commonly referred to as Coastal Road. On September 24, 2020 a news article was written about a few government buildings and bridges being renamed, but the article also mentioned some proposals, in this case **Manuel Esquivel Highway** for the Coastal Road. But this was only a proposal and never actually named that even though a lot of websites and news media picked it up as fact.https://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/545091/new-buildings-and-roads-to-be-named-after-belizean-patriots.html As of August 19, 2023, the highway was designated as the Coastal Plain Highway.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

Bridge Detail