Fodor's Expert Review Swing Bridge

As its name suggests, the bridge spanning Haulover Creek in the middle of Belize City actually swings. When needed to allow a boat through or by special request of visiting dignitaries, four men hand-winch the bridge a quarter-revolution so waiting boats can continue upstream. (When it was the only bridge in town, this snarled traffic for blocks; the opening of three other upstream bridges has eased that pressure.) The bridge, made in England, opened in 1923; it was renovated and upgraded in 1999. Outsiders' recommendations to automate the swing mechanics or—heaven forbid—rebuild the bridge entirely are always immediately rejected. No one wants to eliminate the city’s most unusual landmark. Before the Swing Bridge arrived, cattle were "hauled over" the creek in a barge. The bridge appears in a scene of a little-remembered 1980 movie The Dogs of War, set in a fictitious African country but mostly filmed in Belize.