LIHU‘E — On Friday, a state Department of Transportation crew finished its Hanalei Hill landslide assessment on Kuhio Highway, and reported that a single lane will be opened for emergency access early next week. However, it could take several months before the road is fully opened again.
Ed Sniffen, DOT Highways Division deputy director, said the crew found the roadway to be in pretty good condition during the assessment.
“We’re going to be pushing really hard to open up that roadway to single-lane traffic for emergency-management purposes first by Tuesday of next week,” Sniffen said. “Then we’ll focus on the long-term recovery to make sure that we can recover the two lanes.
“We’re targeting a three-month time frame, but of course we’ll get more information as we work through the landslide material.”
Kaua‘i remained in a National Weather Service flash-flood watch through Saturday evening. DOT public information official Shelly Kunishige said that is affecting the assessment of the landslide area.
“When the threat of unstable weather dissipates we will provide more information,” Kunishige said Saturday afternoon. “At this time, the road is still intact under the debris. No vehicles or equipment were buried by the landslide.”
The DOT will maintain closures of Kuhio Highway.
Impacted areas are:
• Both lanes of Kuhio Highway at mile marker 1 at Hanalei Hill approaching Hanalei Bridge. Work on the slope began on Friday with crews placing plastic sheeting to shield the exposed soils from further saturation;
• Kuhio Highway between Kolopua Apartments and Hanalei Plantation Road. This closure is out of an abundance of caution. “This is the road above the Hanalei Hill site,” Kunishige said. ”We have installed systems to monitor any movement in the road;”
• Single lane of Kuhio Highway at mile marker 4.5 near Waikoko.
According to DOT, the hole seen in photos and video of the Hanalei Hill slide is an irrigation tunnel dating back to the 1800s.
The DOT is working to identify the water sources feeding into the tunnel as work on the emergency access continues.
DOT said they are working with the County of Kaua‘i and the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency on emergency access for residents cut off by the landslide at Hanalei Hill. They will continue to provide updates on the status of Kuhio Highway as soon as new information becomes available.
•••
Stephanie Shinno, reporter can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.
