This project transformed a 125-kilometer road in the Central American nation of Belize, between the country’s international airport and the Mexican border, from a frequently flooded and unsafe passage into a vastly more sustainable artery.

The project team had to elevate sections of the road to protect against flooding while respecting the natural environment. Crews installed sidewalks, bus shelters, pedestrian crossings, traffic signs and guardrails through sections passing through forests, wetlands and denser urban areas. Even though only roundabouts and bus stops now have light poles on this rural road, children and pedestrians are safer. When walking to and from school along the now-paved road edges, “we don’t have to be in the mud or in the grass or even in the dust,” says Deborah Innis, a teacher.