KALIHIWAI — Kuhio Highway reopened to two lanes Monday afternoon after a landslide Friday closed part of the road and triggered hours of rock scaling south of Kalihiwai Bridge.
KALIHIWAI — Kuhio Highway reopened to two lanes Monday afternoon after a landslide Friday closed part of the road and triggered hours of rock scaling south of Kalihiwai Bridge.
Crews worked overnight Sunday to clear the debris, and traffic was alternated in both directions in the northbound lane while work was ongoing to “prevent mud and rocks from impacting travel lanes,” according to Hawaii Department of Transportation staff members.
The road had been opened intermittently, primarily for contraflow, since the 5 p.m. Friday landslide, leading to long traffic delays on both sides.
On social media, people reported being stuck in traffic for between two and five hours, both directions.
“Three hours to go five miles. Radical patience. Slooow down,” one person posted on social media March 16.
“Finally got over the bridge and it was a two hour ordeal,” another person posted.
It’s the fourth landslide to close the road on the North Shore of Kauai since mid-February, though the other three were all along the same stretch of road, near mile marker 5 in Wainiha.
Plans on a stabilization project for area landslides are in the works, according to HDOT.
