The Road (Saba)

The Road is the unofficial name for the cement road that connects the villages of Saba, Netherlands, a Caribbean island. It is nicknamed as "The Road That Couldn't Be Built."^[1] It is the primary road on the island, spanning 8.7 miles (14 km).^[1] It was constructed by local Sabans between 1938 and 1963, without the use of machines.^[2]

The Road

"The Road That Couldn't Be Built."
Length	14 kilometres (8.7 mi)
Location	Saba, Netherlands
From	Well's Bay/ Fort Bay
Major junctions	branch to Fort Bay The Bottom to St. Johns Windwardside Hiking Trail to Mount Scenery Zion's Hill to sulfur mine Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
To	Cove Bay
Construction
Construction start	1938
Inauguration	1943

History

Example of stone footpath on Saba before construction of The Road

For most of its history Saba had no road, only footpaths and stone steps. Experts had expressed the opinion that it was impossible to build a cement road on the island.^[1] In the 1930s, a self-educated local engineer, Josephus Lambert "Lambee" Hassell (1906-1983).,^[3] dedicated himself to the idea of creating a road.^[4][5]

A portion of The Road between The Bottom and Fort Bay

Phase 1: In 1938, cementing of the road's first section began: from Fort Bay and The Bottom.^[2][4][5] Until then, this path had been a stone path was made of 200 uneven stone steps.^[2] Construction was carried out by local Sabans under the leadership of Erroll Hassell.^[2][3] In 1943, this first section of the road was completed and inaugurated.^[2][6] It was 0.7 miles (1.15 km) long and 13 ft (4 m) wide, and covered an elevation change, or slope, of 653 ft (5 m).^[2]

Phase 2: By 1951, the road was extended to St. John's and then to Windwardside.^[4][2] This involved the removal of stone steps^[2] and cementation of the paths.

Phase 3: In 1958, The Road was completed. Under the direction of Lambee Hassell,^[2] the road had been extended all the way to Hell's Gate, the village farthest from Fort Bay. In 1963, the road was extended to Saba's new airport at Flat Point.^[4]

The Road going down to Saba's airport, and then down to Cove Bay

In 1963, The Road covered 6.5 miles (10 km) from Fort Bay to the airport in Flat Point.^[4] Since then, branches have been added to the road, including branches to Well's Bay, to the Mount Scenery hiking trail, to the Sulphur Mine trail, and to Cove Bay. The road now covers about 8.7 miles (14 km).^[1]

Route

There are no official documents about the exact route of The Road. After matching several sources, The Road is believed to go from Well's Bay Beach to Cove Bay Beach^[7] with a branch to Fort Bay after The Bottom, in the direction of Well's Bay.^[7] The Road connects the island with the airport at Flat Point as well.^[7]