The Causeway is a narrow strip of

reclaimed land Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamatio ...

and bridges in the north of

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

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 The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

, was approved. Built by the Royal Engineers, Hime's Causeway was opened to traffic on 19 September 1871 by Governor Lefroy. The construction project cost £27,000 (in comparison, the

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

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 road in Bailey's Bay and across Longbird 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. Until

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, there were virtually no motor vehicles allowed in Bermuda, and only bicycles and horse-drawn carriages used the Causeway. The Bermuda Railway operated island-wide, providing rail passenger and freight service between St. George's and Somerset in Sandys Parish, Bermuda. Consequently, the causeway was lightly used. With the construction of the Kindley Field airbase by the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942–1943 and the relaxation of the ban on motor vehicles for essential military uses during the wartime emergency, motorized vehicle use of the causeway increased significantly. Beginning in the late 1940s after World War II, the Bermuda Government allowed civilian use of motor vehicles, and the causeway became an essential part of Bermuda's transport infrastructure for the average citizen. Throughout its existence, the causeway has repeatedly suffered from damage due to hurricanes. On 1 September 1880, the causeway was wrecked by "the great storm". It was rebuilt following the original design, which stood until 14 September 1899, when three-fourths of a mile of the bridge was ravaged by another powerful hurricane. Afterwards, the causeway was rebuilt of stone block. Nearly a century later, in 1995, Hurricane Felix caused notable damage. On 5 September 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 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 Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

and Ferry Reach parks. Public meetings on these plans began in October 2006. By February 2010, however, plans to replace the causeway had been abandoned. The issue was a touchy subject when raised in the

Senate of Bermuda A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the ...

.Interviews with Government and Opposition Senators, VSB News, February 17, 2010

External links

Bermuda Government website on future Causeway development

References

{{Bermuda topics Bridges in Bermuda Geography of Bermuda Transport in Bermuda Hamilton Parish St. David's Island, Bermuda