The Road (Saba)

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]

Phase 1: In 1938, cementing of the road's first section began: from Fort Bay and The Bottom.^[2][4][5] Until then, this section had been a path 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 (1.1 km) long and 13 feet (4.0 m) wide, and covered an elevation change, or slope, of 653 feet (199 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 cementing the paths.

Phase 3: In 1958, The Road was completed. Under the direction of 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 covered 6.5 miles (10.5 km) from Fort Bay seaport to the airport at Flat Point.^[4]

Since then,^[when?] 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.^{[citation needed]} As of 2023, The Road was about 8.7 miles (14.0 km) long.^[1] An extension is planned for access to a new seaport under construction at Black Rocks since November 2025.^[7]

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  Example of stone footpath on Saba before construction of The Road
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  A portion of The Road between The Bottom and Fort Bay
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  The Road going down to Saba's airport, and then down to Cove Bay