Hawkesworth Bridge, Suspension bridge in San Ignacio, Belize.

Hawkesworth Bridge is a suspension bridge in San Ignacio that crosses the Macal River. The structure spans across with a single traffic lane connecting the towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena.

The bridge was built in 1949 to connect the two towns using imported materials from Europe. It represented a major infrastructure project for the Cayo District at that time.

The bridge is named after Sir Edward Gerald Hawkesworth, a former governor of British Honduras. Its opening on 20 August 1949 drew what was then the largest crowd the western capital had ever seen, with music from Rev. Gregory Sontag's loudspeakers and a dance at the tennis court that Governor Garvey attended.

You can cross the bridge on foot or by car, but expect narrow conditions during busy times. Current construction work may cause delays, so it is better to plan your crossing flexibly.

Each of the bridge's cables is made of 7 individual strands and weighs 18 tons; the steel work came from Head Wrightson & Co Ltd, the cables from Bruntons Ltd of Musselburgh, Scotland. The deck sits 7 feet above the highest known flood level, and the foundations reach bedrock 12 feet down.