The Hawaii Consolidated Railway was extended to connect the Hāmākua sugarcane plantations to the harbor at Hilo Bay . On April 1 , 1946 a tsunami caused by an Aleutian Islands earthquake damaged the railroad so much it abandoned its tracks . Several years later the state of Hawaii acquired the right-of-way , and by 1960 realigned the Hawaii Belt Road ( Route 19 , known as the Māmalahoa Highway ) to shorten the driving time . In many places the older highway ( Old Māmalahoa Highway ) follows a more scenic , but twisted route that resembles the more well-known Road to Hana on Maui
Aleutian Islands earthquake
1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake
Hamakua