![Belize City's Original Swing Bridge (1859)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Belize_City%27s_Original_Swing_Bridge_%281859%29.png)
The Belize City Swing Bridge is a
swing bridge
A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then pi ...
located in downtown
Belize City
Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...
,
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
. It connects the north side of Belize City with the south side and spans Haulover Creek, a tributary of the
Belize River
The Belize River runs through the center of Belize. It drains more than one-quarter of the country as it winds along the northern edge of the Maya Mountains to the sea just north of Belize City (). The Belize river valley is largely tropical rain ...
.
A tourist destination and historical landmark of Belize, it is the oldest swing bridge in
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
and one of the few manually operated swing bridges in the world still in use. The
Maritime Museum of Belize is located nearby.
History
Constructed in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, England, and brought to Belize City by a United States company in
, it was built to allow sailing fishing boats with tall masts to pass the bridge and continue up river to offer supplies and services to the city. The construction of the new bridge replaced several wooden bridges that had been built by locals during the mid-19th century by locals to cross the Haulover Creek.
Haulover Creek is actually an inlet for the Belize River but was so called because cattlemen had to pull their cattle across the creek with ropes ("hauling over the creek"). The bridge was constructed in 1922 and installation was finished in 1923. It was manually opened by four men cranking by hand. The bridge was swung twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening, to allow boat traffic through.
Renovations
The bridge was damaged in the category 5
1931 hurricane that hit the city. It was said to have moved into the street. Again damaged by
Hurricane Hattie
Hurricane Hattie was one of the strongest and deadliest tropical cyclones of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, reaching a peak intensity as a Category5 hurricane. The ninth tropical storm, seventh hurricane, fifth major hurricane, and secon ...
in 1961 and by
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch is the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion ...
in 1998, repairs were made after Mitch and further restoration was done in the first decade of the 21st century. Talks were made about automating the bridge however locals have balked at this realizing it would take away a major tourist destination in the city.
In 1987, an approved donation by China, resulted in the design and thereafter, fabrication of a modern replacement bridge for the old Belize City swing bridge location. It was shipped to Belize in 1989 but never arrived. It was returned to China because Belize established diplomatic relations with Taiwan that year at the time of the shipment.
Operation
The bridge requires a minimum of four men to crank it by hand until it is perpendicular with Haulover Creek. After traffic has passed, it is hand cranked again until it has been returned to its parallel position with the creek. Traffic is halted for well over an hour before the process is completed. Since 2007, the bridge is only manually opened by special request as traffic on Haulover Creek is not as heavy as before.
In film
The Belize City Swing Bridge was shown in the 1980 film, ''
The Dogs of War'', starring
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
. Scenes for the fictional African country of Zangaro were shot in
Belize City
Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...
,
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
. The bridge was positioned parallel to the creek and then manually swung back into position in the scene.
Swing bridges
Buildings and structures in Belize City
Bridges in Belize
Bridges completed in 1923
1923 establishments in the British Empire
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