Take A Drive Down One Of Hawaii’s Oldest Roads For A Picture Perfect Day
By Megan Shute|Published July 31, 2018
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
Even though we can’t take a traditional road trip like our friends on the mainland, the Hawaiian Islands are home to several incredible scenic drives just waiting to be explored — and we can almost guarantee that our views are better. While we love Maui’s Hana Highway as much as the next person, today we’re taking you on a unique adventure back in time along one of the oldest roads in Hawaii.
Meandering around most of Hawaii Island, the Hawaii Belt Road is not only one of the state's oldest roads but easily one of the longest as well, measuring in at approximately 150 miles.
A modern name for the Mamalahoa Highway, the Hawaii Belt Road consists of Hawaii Route 11 between Hilo and Kailua-Kona, Route 19 between Hilo and Waimea, and a split route between Waimea and Kailua Kona (the original "mauka" Route 190 and the "makai" Route 19 road).
Various sections of the highway have been widened and re-aligned throughout the years, and much of the Hawaii Belt Road through North Hilo and the Hamakua area was built on the roadbed and bridges of the Hawaii Consolidated Railway as part of the recovery from the 1946 tsunami that ravaged the landscape.
Though the names "Hawaii Belt Road" and "Mamalahoa Highway" refer to the road system that encircles the Big Island, many sections of the road are known by their local names.
Whether you’re interested in history, breathtaking landscapes, or adventure, you’re sure to find it along the Hawaii Belt Road. This highway is easily the longest — and greatest — road trip you can take in the Aloha State, and it should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Have you ever driven around the Big Island on Mamalahoa Highway? Did you know that it is one of the state’s oldest roads? For a detailed account of which stretches of road are considered part of the Hawaii Belt Road, click here.
