Bridgetown, Barbados — The government of Belize will receive an additional loan of US$4.584 million from the Caribbean Development Bank for an ongoing road safety project. The original loan of US$7.248 million was approved in 2012, but stakeholder reviews of the project have led to a revision in scope that required further financing.
The road safety project was designed to assist in the reduction of deaths and serious injuries associated with road traffic accidents. Initially it involved such areas as road safety infrastructure; accident emergency services; road safety enforcement; public education and awareness including curriculum development and teacher training; and capacity building.
Because this is a pilot project, annual review meetings were incorporated into the process. These meetings afforded the opportunity for feedback from a wide cross-section of public and private sector stakeholders.
Following the discussions at the stakeholders meetings it was agreed that a number of adjustments will be made to the project design including additional guardrails, drainage and intersection improvements, and mobility and safety features for the infrastructure works.
Additionally, the projected cost of some of the civil works packages has risen from original appraisal estimates.