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.
At a meeting of the Legislative Assembly held on July 3, 1826 eight people were elected to a committee for the formation of a good and substantial road from town to the Haulover. These men were William Usher, George Westby Esq., James McDonald, John S. August, Thomas Pickstock, William Maskall Esq. and Dr. Young.[1]
Before the Haulover Road there used to be a trail where the woodcutters would haul logs with their oxen and often the oxen would get stuck in the mud so deep that they couldn't be rescued. The sides of the trail was strewn with skeletal remains of oxen.[1]
The road from Settlement 12 to the village of Settlement 629 had been constructed by Brigadier Major Shaw. And by September 1826 extended past Settlement 629.[1]
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.[2]
On January 21, 1848 tolls were introduced for the Haulover Ferry. 10d for every person and 1/8thd per head of cattle or horse.[2]
In April 1866 the Haulover Road was completed.[2] By 1868 a road already existed between Settlement 186 and Settlement 64 but not to Settlement 12 yet. [2]
In 1892 the locals complained of the bad condition of the Haulover Road.[3]
Construction of the Belize-Corozal Road started in 1925. By 1926 the construction costs had reached $10,000.63.[4][5]
Between 1927-1931 the Haulover Road was widened.[6]
Between 1933 and 1934, 4.5 miles of Haulover Road were re-metalled and surfaced at the cost of $11,250.[7]
By 1935 the Belize-Orange Walk Road had reached 31 miles, up to Settlement 152 at a total cost of $43,328. In 1935 construction started on the Bridge 19 replacing the Haulover Ferry. The bridge was lightly built of concrete with $1916 being spent on it in 1935.[8]
By 1936 the Belize-Orange Walk Road reached up to 34 miles, close to Settlement 159, at a total cost up to that point of $285,768. And then the Haulover Bridge was opened on May 31, 1936 at a total cost of $15,300.[9][10]
In 1937 the road had been completed a little past Maskall at a total cumulative cost of $285,768.[11] By 1939 the road from Settlement 12 to Settlement 64 had been completed.[12][13][14]
In 1943, the Haulover Bridge was badly damaged by floods, so a new steel bridge was constructed between 1946-1947. The bridge had concrete approaches with two steel spans of 100 feet on each side and a 150 foot central span.
In May of 1978 an experiment was carried out, using paving material from limestone at a few selected locations on the new Crooked Tree alignment and on the Orange Walk-Corozal section.[15]
The Philip Goldson Highway was called the Haulover Road when the construction started in Belize City. When the road construction extended to Orange Walk it became known interchangeably as the Northern Highway or Belize-Corozal Road.[14]
In 1968 the road was officially commissioned as the Northern Highway, so the name Belize-Corozal Road fell out fo use.
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.[16]
The Philip Goldson Highway and Remate Bypass Upgrading Project (PGHRBP) was funded in part with a grant from the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF), a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank and contribution from the Government of Belize.
Organization Funding
Civil works generally entailed the resealing and widening as well as paving of the road shoulders for the entire portion of the Philip Goldson Highway from Mile 24.5 in Settlement 22 to the Settlement 273 Border and included the Road 106 for a total length of approximately 128km. Additional and new drainage structures were installed to improve climate resilience; road safety features included line marking, road studs, traffic signs, bus lay-bys, bus shelters and traffic calming measures in all villages.
As road safety was a key component of the project, additional safety features in village locations only, included pedestrian/ bicycle paths, pedestrian crossings, and rumble strips. To improve safety as well, there was a realignment of the Mamayal curve, the Settlement 144 Junction and the Tumbaito curve near the intersection to Settlement 51. Three new roundabouts were also constructed, one at Settlement 76 junction and one at either end of the Road 106. The PGH project was also divided into 4 Lots:
Lot 1: Mile 24.5 – 52 and Miles 88 to Border (49.21km)
Lot 1 included two sections of the PGH; Section A and Section D. Section A commenced at the existing culvert at approximately Mile 24.5 and terminated at the existing roundabout at the beginning of the Road 40 and Section D commenced from the Northern intersection of the Road 106 and terminated at the Border Post in Settlement 273.
Four variation orders (VO’s) were granted under the Lot 1 contract; the first VO was approved for a sum of BZD 4,075,052.00, for additional shoulder widening and paving of the section from the project start at mile 24.5 to Settlement 43. This was to further enhance safety along that portion of road and to accommodate edge line markings as several sections of the road suffered severe edge breaks and raveling.
The second variation was approved for additional drainage works following a weather disturbance that affected the country between 17th and 18th August 2022, which caused flooding of five sections of the Highway and two major culvert washouts. The additional works under this VO raised 5km section of the PGH, and installed additional drainage culverts throughout that section and was for a total amount of BZD 3,619,664.54.
The third VO was approved for works that were not provided for under the original Bill of Quantities as well as to cover price adjustments for change in cost of materials for an amount of BZD 2,781,151.97.
The fourth and final VO for an amount of BZD 511,475.63 was to cover price adjustments for change in cost of materials. The amended Contract amount for Lot 1 was $21,518,209.62.
Lot 2: Miles 52 – 75 (36.6km)
Lot 2 commences from the existing roundabout at the beginning of the Road 40 and terminates just before the proposed new roundabout forming the southern end of the Road 106.
One Variation Order was granted under Lot 2 contract to formalise the final contract price which resulted in a savings of BZD 1,067,147.48. The savings were as a result of (1) over-estimation of quantities in the original BoQ and (2) value engineering in the decision to change from cement stabilised marl base to a granular base. The savings generated from Lot 2 are proposed to be used to supplement the increase in the final contract price for Lot 3 resulting from price increases in construction materials. The final contract sum for Lot 2 is BZD $26,012,154.74.
Lot 3: Remate Bypass (18.5km)
See Road 106 for further info on this section
Lot 4: Mile 75 to 88 (23.59km)
Lot 4 includes two sections of the PGH: Sections E1 and E2. Section E1 commences at the southern end of the Road 106 and terminates at the existing roundabout at the southern end of the existing dual carriageway boulevard in Settlement 64. Section E2 commences from the Northern end of the Road 106 and terminates at the start of the existing dual carriageway boulevard in Settlement 64.
Two Variation Orders were granted under Lot 4 contract for (VO 1) works that were not provided for under the original Bill of Quantities and (VO 2) to cover price adjustments for change in cost of materials; the amount of which was more than the contingency amount provided for under the contract. VO#1 was for a total amount of BZD 1,103,498.63 and VO2 was BZD 540,421.10 bringing the new contract sum for Lot 4 to BZD $21,035,577.45.
On December 3, 1969, the Bridge 85 was completed with a road built to the Northern Highway's junction with Road 50 and Road 51, 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 to the Roundabout 39.[17]
A road upgrade was carried out in the 1990s from the start of the highway to the Bridge 22. The paved road width was approximately 7m with a total width of 9-10m including shoulders.[18]
In October of 2000, Hurricane Keith caused substantial damage to the Northern Highway between Roundabout 39 and the Bridge 22 due to rising waters from the Waterway 131 over-topping the road in several sections for a total distance of 1740m. The Government of Belize sought assistance from the World Bank to reconstruct that section of road. The Halcrow Group Ltd. was hired to design the improvement works and to conduct an EIA report, which they completed in August of 2001.[18]
In 2015 the Roundabout 36 was constructed at the Road 9 junction.[19] During the same year, the Roundabout 25 was also constructed at the north end of Settlement 186 connecting with the Road 40.
In 2018 the stretch of road from the Roundabout 39 to the Roundabout 36 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 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.[20]
By 2021 the highway passing through Settlement 139 had deteriorated seriously and had become a nightmare for motorists, so the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing repaved the section from the Airport junction to Burrell Boom junction with hot mix asphalt as a temporary solution. This was the first time asphalt was used on one of Belize's major highways.[21][22]
On February 1, 2024 the new Bridge 22 was opened to the public, replacing the old narrow steel truss bridge. The old bridge was disassembled and reused for the Bridge 114 in the Cayo District. On the north end of the bridge a roundabout was constructed.[23]
The project was financed by the Government of Belize (GOB) ($22 million), the Republic of China (Taiwan) ($35 million) and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) ($13 million) to expand and rehabilitate the Philip Goldson Highway from mile 8.5 to mile 24.5.
The overall objective was to improve safety, functionality of the highway section and to improve flood resilience and drainage, particularly within the Settlement 139 area.
Civil works included the widening and rehabilitation of 26km of road, including a 4 lane highway with a total width of 14.4m, separated with jersey barriers between the Airport Junction and Lord's Bank Junction, 1.5m shoulders on both sides of the highway, 1.5m sidewalk/drains on both sides of the highway in this section, the construction of 5 roundabouts, 2 pedestrian overpasses, 2 lane highway with a width of 7.2m from Lord's Bank Junction to mile 24.5, hot mix asphalt pavement throughout, culvert installation, bus shelters and laybys, pedestrian crossings, line markings, signage, road studs and other road safety appurtenances.
Construction started on January 31, 2025 and was expected to be completed by August 2027.[24][25]
In 1966 the Tower Hill Bridge was built with a toll booth, replacing the ferry that had been there since before 1948.[26]
By 1967 the new road alignment towards Crooked Tree had neared completion with some sections already gravelled.[27]
In 1978-79, 30 miles (48 km) of the new Crooked Tree road alignment was paved by Teichroeb and Sons which brought the route much further to the west between Settlement 12 and Settlement 186, and much closer to Settlement 76, to which a causeway and road was built in 1984. [28]
2025 Philip Goldson Highway Upgrading Project (Mile 8-24.5) - See Belize City-Gentleville section
In 1935 the road construction had progressed from Corozal towards Orange Walk 18.5 miles and from Orange Walk towards Corozal 5 miles at a total cost of $22,100.[8]
By 1936 the road from Corozal towards Orange Walk had a length of 21 miles and the road from Orange Walk towards Corozal was 6 miles long with a total cost up to that point of $106,701.[10]
By 1937 the entire Corozal - Orange Walk Road had been completed at a total cost of $106,701.[11]
The road from Settlement 64 to the Mexican border at Settlement 273 was completed in 1946.[29]
In 1964 the road was asphalted through the villages of Settlement 57, Settlement 235 and Settlement 253.[30]
On June 11, 2014 a ground breaking celebration was held for the refurbishing of 4.5 miles of the Philip Goldson Highway through Settlement 186 from the junction of Road 243 to the Road 247 junction. The project rehabilitated this section with hot-mix asphalt and constructed two new roundabouts at Holy Trinity Street junction and San Lorenzo Avenue junction and also created a new boulevard from Ketz Lagoon Street to San Lorenzo Avenue.[31]
| # | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haulover Bridge | BZ | - | Belize River | 1923 | 2024-06 | 127 | - | metal | metal | - | - |
| 2 | Haulover Bridge | BZ | - | Belize River | 2024-02-01 | - | 424 | - | concrete | paved | - | - |
| 3 | Mexico Creek Bridge | BZ | - | Mexico Creek | 2010 | - | 20.7 | - | concrete | paved | - | - |
| 4 | Tower Hill Bridge | OW | - | New River | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |