The Causeway, Bermuda

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The Causeway is a narrow strip of reclaimed land and bridges in the north of Bermuda linking Hamilton Parish on the mainland in the southwest and Bermuda International Airport on St. David's Island in St. George's Parish in the northeast, which are otherwise divided by Castle Harbour.

The need for such a roadway was long-known to Bermuda's authorities. In the early 19th century, a committee was established to investigate possible plans. It would not be until 1867 that a valid plan, that by Lt. Albert Hime of the Royal Engineers, was approved.

Hime's Causeway was opened to traffic on September 19th, 1871 by Governor Lefroy. The construction project cost £27,000 (in comparison, the local government raised only £25,000 in revenue for that year). Originally, it spanned from Blue Hole Hill, across the Cartwheel Islands (four small islets that are no longer visible) to Longbird Island. The project also included a new roads in Bailey's Bay and across Londbird Island, and a swing bridge from Longbird to St. George's, finally giving an uninterrupted land route from the burgeoning main island to the old colony.

Throughout its existence, the Causeway has suffered from damage due to hurricanes. On September 1st, 1880, the Causeway was wrecked by "the great storm". It was rebuilt following the original design, which stood until September 14th, 1899, when 3/4 of a mile of the bridge collapsed. Afterwards, a new, stronger design was implemented. Nearly a century later, in 1995, Hurricane Felix caused notable damage. Shortly after that, on September 5th, 2003, Hurricane Fabian dealt critical damage, including the loss of four lives.

Following the damage inflicted by Hurricane Fabian, the Bermuda Government began investigating alternatives to simply repairing the Causeway after each storm knocked it out. These alternatives include an underwater tunnel, a true bridge and constructing additional roadways, such as through Coney Island and Ferry Reach parks. Public meetings on these plans are scheduled to begin on the October 18th, 2006.