San Pedro’s Bridge: A Construction Update

On December 31st, 2021, with quite a bit of surprise, I posted that construction had started on a new bridge!  

The Barry Bown Bridge that connects the south end of the island (and San Pedro town) to North Ambergris Caye was completed in 2006 and was only meant for golf carts and smaller vehicles.  But since it was completed – and the road paved north to about mile 3.5 – more and more resorts have purchased vans and trucks and there is a steady stream of LARGE dump trucks hauling rocks and fill from the quarry at about 10 miles north to spots all over the island.  The old bridge just wasn’t designed for it – it’s barely wide enough to fit one of those trucks.  

Here’s a short short video I took when I hitchhiked from my home (8.5 miles north) to town in one of those huge trucks.  You can see what a situation it is at the bridge crossing.  Please make sure your sound is on.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUctmJhpkIV/
Moon Guide Map below of San Pedro town – the bridge goes across “The Cut”

The San Pedro Town Council announced at the end of December 2021 that construction would begin on a new bridge.  Just south of the old one.  It would be completed – and opened – and demolition and then reconstruction would start on the old bridge.   Confusing.  But the end situation?  There would be two side by side stronger new bridges that could manage this traffic.

So…1.5 months later…where are we?

Quite a bit has been done.  I was expecting a higher wider bridge but it looks just about the same to me…

Walking over.  If you follow me on Instagram stories, you’ll see this view just about every day.  I take a picture every time I drive over the bridge.

To the right (the south) you can see Boca Del Rio Park and some temporary container housing for the bridge construction crew.

And on the north side, a beautiful huge empty lot…and the shell of what was The Hammock House Bar.  Many people have very fond memories of the spot.  I found this picture at AmbergrisCaye.com – click thru for a brief history and quite a few more pics.  Looks amazing!  I think it closed before I first visited the island in August of 2006.

And then straight ahead, the old movie theater.  You can see a cool picture of it under construction here in 2009.

It was open until the pandemic…mostly on weekends…but is now for sale.  A teardown maybe?  Combine streaming services and the cost of air-conditioning that giant building…tough business!

Let’s head back over on the side where the new bridge is being constructed.

Shout out to everyone that honked and waved 🙂

There we go.  For the three people that asked, the answer is yes.  Yes, the bridge construction is still happening.  It’s going strong.

 

 

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