The George Price Highway, is one of five main highways in Belize. It originates in Settlement 12, runs west through Settlement 14, Settlement 231 and Settlement 15 and terminates at the Guatemalan border. The highway bisects the country and ties the eastern and western parts of Belize together.

History

The Belize-Cayo Road construction started in the 1930s and was expected to be completed by 1949. The road was constructed of a bituminous surface.^[1] By 1938, 50 miles of all weather road had been constructed.^[2]

By 1949 the Belize-Cayo Road and the Road 233 were complete, linking Settlement 12 to Settlement 231 at the new Bridge 25.

The section of highway from Settlement 14 to the Guatemala border was rehabilitated in 1991.^[3]

Sections of the Western Highway were resealed in 1997.^[3]

On September 20, 2003, the Bridge 177 was reconstructed as a new steel bridge to replace the old broken concrete bridge.

The Roundabout 2 was constructed at the junction of the George Price Highway and the Road 8 in July 2016.

In 2019 the Bridge 58 was reconstructed slightly upstream due to the old Bridge 59 being too narrow and getting congested, with the inauguration ceremony held on March 20, 2020. As part of this project the roundabout also had to be modified, with the western leg being moved slightly south.

Due to heavy floods in 2021 the section of road from the Bridge 58 to the gas station in Settlement 214 was raised about 3 feet and concreted.

The government advised the public on January 26, 2026 to remove all highway memorials and business signs between Settlement 14 and Settlement 137 as the roadworks was commencing. Any businesses wanting to replace the signs after the highway reconstruction had to apply for a permit from MIDH.^[4]

Project Area: Settlement 214 to Roundabout 4 in Settlement 274

Rehabilitation of the George Price Highway from Settlement 214 to Loma Luz Boulevard, Settlement 274 was substantially completed by 2024 with completion of Section 3– Settlement 23 to Loma Luz Boulevard, Settlement 274.

The Total investment for the civil works, supervision, land acquisition and payment to affected persons was BZ$77,743,457.46. The Ministry hired a Contractor to perform periodic and routine maintenance of the 32.5 kms of the newly rehabilitated highway for a period of 2 years, which ended by early February of 2025.^[5]

Project Area: Settlement 230 – Settlement 238

This project upgraded approximately 6.6 miles of the George Price Highway between Roundabout 5 and Settlement 238, near to the entrance of Settlement 15 over the course of 2 years commencing on September 4 2023. The contract was signed on July 20, 2023.^[5]

The upgrade adhered to international standards with a cross section of double 3.6 m lanes and 1.5 m of paved shoulder on each side. Hot-mix asphalt road surface was used for most of the highway and concrete at sections bounded by the Waterway 197. The cost for this upgrade was BZ$26M and was a blend of OID Loan financing and local, counterpart, funding.^[6]

In Settlement 238, approximately 800 meters was going to be reinforced concrete pavement, and the rest of the highway upgrade was Hot Mix asphalt. Works also included the placement of gabion baskets to protect the riverbank in certain sections from Settlement 238 to Settlement 15 entrance. The cost for this upgrade was BZ$26,709,339.09. The project was completed in 2025.^[7]

Project Area: Belmopan-Belize City

This section of road had not seen any major upgrades since the early 1980s. This project was potentially the largest infrastructure project ever carried out by the Government of Belize and MIDH at the time. The project was divided into 3 lots.^[7]

GPH Upgrading Lot #1 (Belize City - Hattieville)

Lot 1 was executed with support from a $69 million loan agreement with the Caribbean Development Bank.

As of March 2026, the procurement of a construction contractor is still being carried out.^[7]

Works include the complete rehabilitation and upgrading of 15 miles of the George Price Highway between Bridge 188 and Settlement 117. There was a significant focus on drainage, with the construction of lined drains and sidewalks, raising of roads in flood prone areas, foundation improvements to areas of ongoing settlement and the reconstruction of the Bridge 174 and Bridge 159.^[7]

GPH Upgrading Lot #2 (Hattieville - La Democracia) As of March 2026, no funding has been secured for this section.

Works include the replacement of Bridge 200.^[7]

GPH Upgrading Lot #3 (La Democracia - Belmopan)

This is the first lot that was started and commenced on January 8, 2026, and has a construction timeline of 30 months.

Works are being funded by the Governent of Belize and a loan agreement with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development for $26 million. KFAED has confirmed it's commitment to sign a second loan which will cover the remaining cost of the $56.1 million project.

Works include upgrading 29 km of the George Price Highway to international standards, comprising double 3.65m lanes and double 1.5m shoulders and all hot-mix asphalt pavement. A new bridge will be constructed at Waterway 198. Major intersections to be incorporated include a roundabout intersection with George Price Boulevard, and a more channelised intersection for the new hospital site. Modern safety features are included with dedicated turning lanes within the limits of Settlement 301 and Settlement 66 and for the cement factory/sugar cane fields.^[7]

The road was originally known as the Belize-Cayo Road. The section from Settlement 117 to Settlement 12 was known as Hector Creek Road.^[1]

At some point, before 1959^[8] the Belize-Cayo Road was merged with the Hector Creek Road and renamed the Western Highway.

The Western Highway was renamed the George Price Highway in honour of George Price on September 20, 2012.