Roads 1State of the roads and legislation
Roads
Original title: Estradas
Survey of roads in Madeira: their historically poor state, the road-building programme begun after administrative autonomy in 1901, the decrees financing the network, and itineraries with distances of the national roads and the new roads.
1State of the roads and legislation
Writing of the year in which the first edition of this work was published, we stated, with complete truth, that road transport in Madeira was still very backward. Most of the island’s roads were unsuited to certain comfortable and rapid means of transport because of their steepness and very poor paving, and others, though flatter, were no more than mere paths, which could be travelled only on foot or in a hammock (rede, slung from a pole and carried by two bearers). In recent years the District General Council (Junta Geral do Distrito) has sought to remedy this problem, improving certain routes and establishing others between various localities. There is, however, still much to be done to give this island a good road network, and it is no exaggeration to say that at many points on the north coast, and even on the south, road transport is in the same state as it was in the time of the donataries (1922).
The roads of Madeira were, beyond any possible dispute, the worst in the whole of our country. This was due to various causes, above all the almost unbelievably rugged terrain and other unavoidable conditions of the environment. Most of them did not deserve the name of roads, for in general they were narrow paths cut into ground that was arduous and extremely difficult underfoot, overhanging unfathomable chasms and skirting the flanks of high mountains, almost always subjecting travellers to the gravest discomforts and dangers. Until 1901, when administrative autonomy was granted to this district, there were only nine kilometres of good road, linking the city of Funchal with the town (vila) of Câmara de Lobos (‘seals’ den’). Then began, and still continues, the construction of an extensive road network which, within a few years, will make it easy to travel the whole island by fast transport and to visit its principal localities quickly and comfortably.
In addition to its own revenues, the District General Council was authorised by the decree of 12 July 1912 to raise a loan intended exclusively for the construction of roads. The decree of 25 June 1935 ordered a technical mission to come to this archipelago, charged with studying and proposing the measures needed to complete the road network, and the decree of 14 April 1938 approved the plan submitted by this study commission, whereupon the corresponding construction work was diligently carried out.
Because of their very great importance, and as an indispensable explanation of the grand project to complete our road network, we shall transcribe some articles of the decree cited above:
- ‘Article 1. The plan of work for the completion of the supplementary road network of the island of Madeira, amounting to a total of 44.000.000$, is that set out in the schedule annexed to this decree.
- Art. 2. The work under this plan shall be carried out in three phases, namely:
- a) the first, amounting to 15.000.000$, shall be carried out over a period of three years, corresponding to an annual endowment of 5.000.000$
- b) the other two phases, amounting to a total of 29.000.000$, shall be carried out over periods of five years each, corresponding to an annual endowment of 3.000.000$ in the first nine years and of 2.000.000$ in the final year.
Art. 3. The works included in this plan shall be subsidised by the Government in the proportion of 75 per cent of their cost, the remaining 25 per cent being borne by the Autonomous General Council (Junta Geral Autónoma) of the district of Funchal. Sole paragraph. The Government may authorise this General Council to raise a loan to meet the charges that will fall to it.’
After the establishment of the Republic in the country, the former royal roads became known as national roads. The most important are those numbered 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 on the district road map, both because of their length and because they link the principal localities of the island. The following tables show the route these roads follow, together with the distances between the main localities or settlements through which they pass:
2The national roads
National Road no. 23
| From Funchal (Sé) to Câmara de Lobos (church) | 9,958 |
|---|---|
| From Câmara de Lobos to Quinta Grande (church) | 4,998 |
| From Quinta Grande to Campanário (junction with the road to the church) | 3,069 |
| From Campanário to Ribeira Brava (junction with the Cais–Igreja branch road) | 4,684 |
| From Ribeira Brava to Tabua (Corujeira) | 1,291 |
| From Tabua to Ponta do Sol (quay) | 3,000 |
| From Ponta do Sol to Madalena (church) | 4,560 |
| From Madalena to Arco da Calheta (Fajã do Mar) | 1,440 |
| From Arco da Calheta to Calheta (church) | 4,840 |
| From Calheta to Estreito (junction with the road to the church) | 3,680 |
| From Estreito to Prazeres (junction with the Paul branch road) | 3,880 |
| From Prazeres to Fajã da Ovelha (junction with the Paul branch road) | 6,624 |
| From Fajã da Ovelha to Ponta do Pargo (junction with the Pesqueiro branch road) | 5,701 |
| From Ponta do Pargo to Achadas (church) | 9,325 |
| From Achadas to Porto Moniz (church) | 7,720 |
| From Porto Moniz to Ribeira da Janela (church) | 3,880 |
| From Ribeira da Janela to Seixal (church) | 7,695 |
| From Seixal to São Vicente (church) | 8,033 |
| From São Vicente to Ponta Delgada (junction with the branch road to the landing place) | 7,038 |
| From Ponta Delgada to Boa Ventura (junction with road no. 27) | 2,569 |
| From Boa Ventura to Arco de São Jorge (church) | 2,975 |
| From Arco de São Jorge to São Jorge (church) | 6,760 |
| From São Jorge to Santana (church) | 6,380 |
| From Santana to Faial (church) | 4,720 |
| From Faial to São Roque do Faial (church) | 2,260 |
| From São Roque to Porto da Cruz (church) | 2,700 |
| From Porto da Cruz to Machico (junction with the branch road to the quay) | 11,000 |
| From Machico to Santa Cruz (town) | 8,220 |
| From Santa Cruz to Porto Novo | 4,740 |
| From Porto Novo to Caniço (junction with the Ponta da Oliveira branch road) | 3,440 |
| From Caniço to São Gonçalo (junction with the road to the church) | 5,520 |
| From São Gonçalo to Funchal (Sé) | 3,480 |
| Length of this road | 166,180 |
|---|
National Road no. 24
| From Funchal (Carmo) to Monte (church) | 3,217 |
|---|---|
| From Monte to Poiso | 6,783 |
| From Poiso to Ribeiro Frio | 4,240 |
| From Ribeiro Frio to Cruzinha | 4,760 |
| From Cruzinha to Santana | 9,160 |
| Length of this road | 28,160 |
National Road no. 25
| From Funchal (Ponte de São João) to São Martinho (church) | 3,000 |
|---|---|
| From São Martinho to Estreito de Câmara de Lobos (church) | 6,000 |
| From Estreito de Câmara de Lobos to the junction with the Jardim da Serra road | 3,520 |
| From that junction to the Cumeada de São Vicente | 14,080 |
| From the Cumeada to Rosário | 4,150 |
| From Rosário to São Vicente (church) | 4,200 |
| Length of this road | 34,950 |
National Road no. 26
Terminal and intermediate points | Kilometres
| From Ribeira Brava (bridge) to Serra de Água (junction with the road to the church) | 7,520 |
|---|---|
| From Serra de Água to the Cumeada de São Vicente | 5,540 |
| Length of this road | 13,060 |
National Road no. 27
Terminal and intermediate points | Kilometres
| From Funchal (Maravilhas) to Santo António (church) | 2,495 |
|---|---|
| From Santo António to the junction with the road to the church of Curral | 11,350 |
| From Curral to Boaventura (church) | 19,085 |
| From Boaventura to the junction with road no. 23 | 537 |
| Length of this road | 33,467 |
National Road no. 28
Terminal and intermediate points | Kilometres
| From Ponta do Sol to Cruzinhas | 5,000 |
|---|---|
| From Cruzinhas to the Cumeada (edge of the Paul) | 2,350 |
| From the Cumeada to Casas do Paul | 2,650 |
| From Casas do Paul to Estanquinhos | 3,000 |
| From Estanquinhos to Caramujo | 1,450 |
| From Caramujo to Feiteiras (São Vicente) | 4,825 |
| Length of this road | 19,275 |
These roads, which as a rule have a poor surface and are at times dangerous to travellers, as already mentioned, have lost their former importance. They are no longer so heavily used at the points where the new, recent roads have replaced them to great advantage. Nevertheless they continue to render excellent service as means of communication between various localities, and they are the true local roads for the inhabitants whose homes lie near them. They should not, therefore, be left to fall into neglect, but deserve continual repairs for their upkeep and improvement.
3The new roads
As stated above, it was after the granting of administrative autonomy in 1901 that construction began on the important road network, and it is still going on today. The network is gradually spreading across the whole island and already allows quick and comfortable visits to more than twenty rural parishes. It is to be hoped that within a few years easy communications can be established between all the parishes of Madeira. No official measurement of the new roads has been made, but we have managed to obtain some data that give a very close estimate of their length, and we present them below.
Road to the east – Kilometres
| Road to the east | Kilometres |
|---|---|
| Funchal to Caniço | 9,500 |
| Caniço to Gaula | 6,000 |
| Gaula to Santa Cruz | 3,500 |
| Santa Cruz to Machico | 7,000 |
| Machico to Portela | 7,000 |
Road to the west – Kilometres
| Section | Kilometres |
|---|---|
| Funchal to Câmara de Lobos | 9,000 |
| Câmara de Lobos to Estreito de Câmara de Lobos | 4,500 |
| Estreito to Quinta Grande | 7,000 |
| Quinta Grande to Campanário | 4,000 |
| Campanário to Ribeira Brava | 6,000 |
| Ribeira Brava to Tabua | 3,500 |
| Tabua to Ponta do Sol | 5,500 |
| Ponta do Sol to Canhas | 2,500 |
| Canhas to Arco da Calheta (Loreto) | 9,000 |
| Loreto to Calheta (Estrela) | 7,000 |
| Estrela to Estreito da Calheta | 3,400 |
| Estreito da Calheta to Prazeres | 7,000 |
| Prazeres to Fajã da Ovelha (Raposeira) | 4,000 |
Ribeira Brava to Ponta Delgada – Kilometres
| Section | Kilometres |
|---|---|
| Ribeira Brava to Serra de Água | 8,000 |
| Serra de Água to Encumeada | 15,000 |
| Encumeada to São Vicente | 14,000 |
| São Vicente to Ponta Delgada | 8,000 |
Funchal to Ribeiro Frio – Kilometres
| Section | Kilometres |
|---|---|
| Funchal to Monte | 6,000 |
| Monte to Poiso | 15,500 |
| Poiso to Ribeiro Frio | 20,000 |
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 05-
Following the law of 22 May 1901, a decree of 8 August 1901 extended the Azorean autonomous regime to the district of Funchal, creating a directly elected Junta Geral that took over the district public works; road-building followed.
-
A decree authorised the Junta Geral to borrow for road construction.
-
The first edition of the Elucidário remarked that roads remained as in the donataries' time.
-
A decree sent a technical mission to study Madeira's road network.
-
A decree approved a 44,000-conto plan for Madeira's complementary road network, 75% state-funded.
Place
Places mentioned · 14
- Câmara de Lobos
Linked to Funchal by the only good road before 1901.
Parish west of Funchal. The Elucidário traces its name to Zarco's discovery voyage and describes its churches, chapels and collegiate chapter, early settlers, fishing community and renowned vineyards. It also records the parish's localities, boundaries, levadas and population.
- Curral das Freiras
Câmara de Lobos. On road 27.
Small inland parish set in a deep valley believed to be an extinct volcanic crater and Madeira's main eruptive focus. The estate was bought for the nuns of Santa Clara, who fled there in 1566 and gave it their name, and it was created a parish in 1790. It was earlier a pasture and a refuge for runaway slaves and criminals, and it became a julgado of the Funchal comarca in 1927.
- Encumeada
São Vicente. Mountain pass crossed by roads 25, 26 and the new north road.
Mountain pass at 1045 m on the southern boundary of São Vicente parish, where the São Vicente stream rises. It is crossed by roads 25 and 26 and the new north road, and was to be the eastern end of the projected Paul da Serra road. A meteorological station was set up there in June 1941.
- Funchal
Starting point of most roads described.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Machico
On road 23 and the new eastern road.
The parish of Machico was the landing place of the discoverers Zargo and Tristão Vaz and the seat of the captaincy of Machico; the parish was founded c. 1450. The Elucidário covers its clergy and stipends, chapels, historical events, mineral springs, localities, population and notable natives.
- Monte
Funchal. On road 24.
Parish of Nossa Senhora do Monte above Funchal, at about 600 m, where leafing occurs later than in Funchal. It contains the localities of Jardim Botânico, Igreja and Marmeleiros and the Quinta de Sant'Ana. The Elucidário notes its many plants, such as acacias and Sonchus fruticosus.
- Paul da Serra
Ponta do Sol. Plateau crossed by road 28.
The Paul da Serra is the only extensive plateau on Madeira, lying at about 1,500 m across four municipalities, where temperatures can fall to freezing. The Rabaçal and Risco springs, the Ribeira da Tabua and the Ribeira da Janela rise at its edges, and it feeds the main levadas. The Elucidário records its vegetation, agricultural trials, shelter houses, sheep-shearing gatherings, common-land use and an unfinished road project.
- Poiso
Santa Cruz. Point on road 24.
The Poiso is an upland site in Madeira's interior, listed at about 1,390–1,414 m, on road 24 and near Chão das Feiteiras, the Alagoas plateau and the Areeiro. It was an interior astronomical station, and weather observations were made there, including by Guilherme Teles de Meneses and of the winds in 1894. The Ribeira de João Gomes and the Ribeira do Porto Novo rise in its area.
- Portela
Machico. End of the new eastern road.
Portela is a pass in the municipality of Machico where the Ribeira de Machico rises and where the new eastern road ends. It is a viewpoint with wide panoramas over Porto da Cruz and Faial and was recommended as a viewpoint in 1850. Princess Isabel and the Coimbra students visited it.
- Porto Moniz
On road 23.
North-western parish and municipality with a quay and a tolerable port that serves as a good landing when southerly winds close the south coast. It has one of the oldest Magdalene chapels in northern Madeira, whose feast falls on 22 July. It was the birthplace of Dr Manuel Gomes Jardim.
- Ribeira Brava
Start of national road 26.
Ribeira Brava is one of Madeira's oldest parishes, named after its violent stream, with a town, port and quay. The Elucidário covers its collegiate church and its paintings, its Franciscan convent and chapels, and its São Pedro festival with a boat and sword dance. It also records riots against the metric system and deaths when troops fired on the people during the 1884 election.
- Ribeiro Frio
Santana. Point on road 24 and terminus of a new road.
Ribeiro Frio is an inland locality at 750 m, about 15 km from Funchal, famed for its scenery, laurel and heath woodland and rare plants, including holly and Euphorbia mellifera. Its stream is a tributary of the Ribeira do Faial and feeds the Levada do Furado and the state levada irrigating Porto da Cruz. It lies on road 24 and has a rain-gauge post.
+ 2 more
People
People mentioned · 01- Joaquim Maria Fragosod. 1923
Author of an article on road transport in Madeira cited as a source.