As of September 23, 2020, the highway's official name is the Manuel Esquivel Highway, named for Sir Manuel Amadeo Esquivel, the former Prime Minister of Belize and leader of the United Democratic Party.

It then runs southeast through remote and lightly-populated rural areas, before turning east to round Sugar Valley Hill.

The Coastal Highway's surface was originally constructed from gravel or dirt and frequently washed out during the rainy season.

Starting in 2016, the government of Belize developed a plan to upgrade the road to a bituminous surface.

[3][4] Politecnica, an engineering firm based in Modena, Italy provided technical designs in 2018-2019 for the project.