A month ago, the state launched a crackdown on companies that violated lower vehicle weight limits for three Waniha bridges in the North Shore area to ensure their continued safe use. Department of Transportation officials were elated because the Kaua’i
A month ago, the state launched a crackdown on companies that violated lower vehicle weight limits for three Waniha bridges in the North Shore area to ensure their continued safe use.
Department of Transportation officials were elated because the Kaua’i County Fire Department and utility companies pledged to go along with the plan.
But not all operators of heavy trucks have followed suit.
In spite of warnings, some operators with hefty loads are ignoring new signs with lower weight limits and are rolling over the bridges, according to local residents.
DOT officials warn the excessive weight will accelerate the deterioration of the 1950s-era bridges and increase the risk of their collapse, possibly killing people.
Ray Chuan, president of the Limu Coalition, said he and other representatives of community groups plan to meet with the Kaua’i County Council to discuss a solution.
To ensure safe use of the three Wainiha bridges, DOT reduced the maximum tonnage of vehicles on two of the bridges from eight to six tons in July. The limit remains eight tons for a third bridge.
A fourth span, the Waioli Bridge, also had its load limit reduced from 10 to eight tons for safety reasons. All the bridges, however, are safe for use by regular passenger vehicles.
Chuan said large and heavy tour buses are using the bridges.
Glenn Yamamoto, a DOT Highways Division official on Kaua’i, said state inspectors manning a heavy-vehicles weigh scale by the Hanalei Bridge this month found a too-heavy tour bus crossing the bridge. The driver wouldn’t have committed any violations because the structure’s weight limit is 15 tons, but a violation would have occurred if the driver had continued on to the Wainiha bridges, Yamamoto said.
Chuan said residents have seen large commercial trucks crossing the bridges. Yamamoto said his office has not received any such official complaints, but “past history” has shown trucks with heavier-than-allowable loads roll over Kaua’i bridges with low weight limits.
County police Lt. Stan Koizumi, who heads the traffic safety division, said “our guys are not trained in the use of the scales” needed for giving tickets for weight violations, but the “DOT guys can still cite violators.”
Because only two police officers are assigned to the North Shore area during any 10-hour work shift and because they must respond to other calls, positioning a police car by the bridges for long periods to encourage public compliance with the weight limits is impractical, Koizumi said.
Violators, however, can be caught during periodic road checks by officers, he said.
Companies that use heavy trucks can apply to DOT for permits if they want to exceed the new weight limits.
DOT went for lower weight limits after a study revealed extensive deterioration of the bridges. The wooden-deck, steel-frame structures have been repaired over the years, but they’ve deteriorated to the point that minor repairs will no longer help, officials said.
The three bridges were built in the 1950s after a tsunami washed out another bridge.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
