HANALEI — An ongoing slope stabilization project along Kuhio Highway between Hanalei Plantation Road and ‘Ohiki Road has made it tough for motorists to navigate the area.
The drive through the area didn’t get any easier on Wednesday, June 5, in large part because of intermittent closures of Kuhio Highway brought on by construction work.
The Garden Island was invited to tour the 1.6-acre construction zone on Wednesday in order to further understand the work currently underway.
“Phase 1 involved emergency repairs following the March 2021 landslide and included the construction of a shortcrete wall with the installation of over 500, 30- to 40-foot long soil nails to stabilize the upper slope, which supports Kuhio Highway from above, along with concrete work to stabilize a drainage tunnel mid-slope, road reconstruction, resurfacing and clearing of over 80,000 tons of debris,” said Shelly Kunishige of the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT).
“Phase 2 of the work is underway involving further stabilization of the lower part of the slope, which utilizes an anchored wire mesh and over 800, 30- to 40-foot long soil nails and drainage improvements that will ensure the stability of the slope and highway in the event of future large storm events.”
Phase 2 of the Hanalei Hill Slope Stabilization Project began in August 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in November 2025.
Night work is also being conducted whenever suitable. In certain cases, night work isn’t the best option or suitable due to numerous reasons, such as weather conditions, visibility and the safety of construction crews.
But regardless of when the work is being done, the project has frayed some nerves.
“I just don’t understand why this work has taken this long to complete,” said a female Hanalei resident, who wanted to remain anonymous.
“I mean, ya know, if it’s not the bridge, it’s the hill. It’s always something. This shouldn’t be taking this long to complete.”
However, the work being done is complex and takes time.
“We are working hard to increase the resilience of Kuhio Highway to extreme weather events, such as the 2018, 2020 and 2021 flood events,” Kunishige explained.
“The work, such as the Hanalei Bridge Repair, Hanalei Hill Slope Stabilization, Waikoko Slope Stabilization, Hanalei River Bank Stabilization, Hanalei Valley Viewpoint Auxiliary Lane, Princeville to Waikoko Resurfacing and Safety Improvements, and Kuhio Highway Pavement Preservation and Restriping between mile post (MP) 6.4 and MP 10 demonstrates our commitment to keeping the highways safe, accessible and in good condition.”
Other people affected by the work in the area on Wednesday took the delays in stride.
“We were here around two years ago and my mom had a rental car, but construction work was being done back then too,” said Kobe Asheown, who is visiting from Oregon.
“We were stopped around 30 minutes last time (two years ago), but today we are commuting on the bus and it wasn’t too bad. Maybe other people are having issues but not us, we just guessed it must be a rough part of the road, but it looks like they are doing good work.”
Consultant Construction Manager Chan Ahn said patience is appreciated.
“We take our job very seriously and we are out here every day, construction demands a lot of hours and dedication, and we want to get the job done as safe and fast as possible, for everyone, we are here rain or shine, so please be patient,” he said.
To view the full schedule of HDOT’s road closures at Hanalei Hill or for further information regarding road work on Kaua‘i, please visit the department’s website at: https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork.
