The river was still rising at 9 am and the Kendall bridge is
closed...... by the way the 636 number takes you straight to NEMO. For those of you on Facebook you can follow this link to the Kendell Bridge Info page http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=130568160292625&ref=ts

Open now. The new bridge will be 3.5 meters higher than the last one.

higher is not that important as the water never swamped the old bridge.
but it better be stronger!

Had my first experience at Kendal on Wednesday while on my way to Placencia. Had to wait there 1 1/2 hrs until crossing opened.There were people there from 6:30am waiting.

Thank God I don't do that journey often!!!!!!!

Have to admit though, that I really enjoyed the drive on the newly paved Placencia road. What a pleasure it is to drive it now!!!!!!!!!!!!

KENDALL RECONSTRUCTION

In 2008, Southern Belize was cut off from the rest of the country when the Kendal Bridge was completely washed away after the floods of Tropical Storm Arthur. A temporary causeway was built to replace the bridge in order for access. In June of 2008, Cadet Henderson, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Works told the media the US Government's Department of Defense had offered to supply a 275 foot long bridge which was to be delivered in 45 days. That military bridge to replace the Kendal for the medium term never happened, because the bridge turned out to have been the wrong size. Since then, every time the weatherman calls for rain, concerns about flooding at the low lying Kendal Causeway come to mind. But today, the Minister of Works says construction of a new bridge is in the works.

Anthony Boots Martinez, Minister of Works
"The Kendall is at the opening tender stage now. On August the 4th there will be the public opening of which we will be inviting the media. The closing tender date was the 15th of July. The opening tender will be the 4th of August and from there we are ready to go in terms of breaking ground around September and that should be my estimation about one and a half years before the completion of Kendall Bridge."

According to Boots the hold up on the Kendall Bridge was due to proper protocols that had to be followed when it came down to funding.

Anthony Boots Martinez
"I think the concern that people have is why so long? Well I must place on the record and I have been saying it for a while that the funding is from CDB of which the government need to follow protocols in terms; they tell you when to launch; they tell you all you they need; they decide the timeframe in regards to when and how we reach at this stage. It's not because the money is there and we go and grab it, its takes a process; the EIA; the design; the approval of design; the consultancy and everything. We are there now and physical construction should begin in October."

The Minister says, the only concern people will have for the next year and a half is - the flooding at the low-lying Kendall.

Anthony Boots Martinez
"The only problem we have with that temporary replacement bridge is when flooding occurs. Its a bridge that we invested in, we have spent a lot of money on that low-laying bridge, but also too its serves as temporary bridge, it will not wash away. The structure of it is built to withstand the wash over. The only inconvenience that people will have is when the water rises and when it recedes they can pass. one and a half years from now Kendall bridge should be completed."

A government press release sent to us late this afternoon says an International bridge consulting firm has been retained to design the replacement bridge and the new bridge will be constructed at an elevation of 14 feet higher than the previous bridge deck level.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=17444