WAILUA — A stretch of Kuamo‘o Road has been designated as a traffic emergency zone because of signs of slope failure near the popular Opaeka‘a Falls Scenic Lookout, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation said.
WAILUA — A stretch of Kuamo‘o Road has been designated as a traffic emergency zone because of signs of slope failure near the popular Opaeka‘a Falls Scenic Lookout, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation said.
The designation allows for an expedited procurement and waives certain permitting requirements necessary to address the issue on the road, which serves as the main connector to Wailua Homesteads from Kuhio Highway in Wailua.
A plan of actions calls for the removal of loose and unstable debris and vegetation; the installation of a 5-foot by 5-foot grid pattern of 30- to 40-foot long “soil nails” embedded into the slope; and the installation of a reinforced shotcrete wall of which the height and length is to be determined.
The action plan also notes the project duration to be dependent on the size of the wall. As a result, the affected section of the road requires single lane closure until the slope is sufficiently stabilized, the Department of Transportation said.
The single lane closure will be in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice. Motorists have reported significant traffic issues along the road because of the project.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
