192 steps at Tobago's King Peter's Bay now a roadway

Christmas has come early for residents of King Peter’s Bay Hill in Moriah, Tobago as their dreams have come true. What was previously 192 steep steps is now a concrete road which extends 400 metres throughout the remote, tranquil community.

This upgrade also includes drainage, retaining structures and a turntable at the end of the road.

The road was commissioned on Friday.

One resident, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the steps were built in 1974. She said over the years, landowners, descendants of landowners, heirs to property-holders, and other villagers interested in development have clamoured for the steps to be removed and replaced with a road, Until now the steps have been the only means of access to the community.

“We all, but more so the elders, found it increasingly difficult to obtain health care using these steps, and they couldn’t even depend on emergency vehicles and responders reaching them in a timely manner.

"We are really grateful to our area representative and the current administration for this – it is definitely a step in the right direction, with more things to come.”