Back on in the early 1990s, Steve Kyono, who heads the state Department of Transportation Highways Division Office Kaua‘i, thought as most engineers do: build bridges and roads bigger and better for the public’s benefit. That line of thinking was
Back on in the early 1990s, Steve Kyono, who heads the state Department of Transportation Highways Division Office Kaua‘i, thought as most engineers do: build bridges and roads bigger and better for the public’s benefit.
That line of thinking was part of Kyono’s civil engineering training during his college years at Purdue University.
But Kyono has had a change of heart. This change came after years of meeting with Carol Wilcox, Barbara Robeson, Susan Wilson and others focused on preserving the rural flavor of roads on Kaua‘i’s North Shore.
Kyono, an admitted history buff, appreciates the value of protecting Kaua‘i’s fading historical sites, be they buildings, roads or landscapes.
His philosophy – that of building infrastructure to meet growth but preserving existing highway structures when possible – has helped bring about the development of a draft government plan to preserve ten miles of Kuhio Highway that runs from the Chevron Station at the Princeville Resort to the end of the road at Ke‘e Beach in Ha‘ena.
The “Comprehensive Roadway Corridor Plan” was released by DOT officials for public review last December.
When a final plan is adopted, it will be become a milestone document that will help preserve, as much as possible, the roadway and a slower pace of life that existed on the North Shore some 40 years ago, Robeson said.
The release of the latest plans comes about two years after the ten miles of roadway were placed on the Hawaii Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.
The designation and a final plan for the road will preserve 11 historic single-lane bridges, some narrow and winding roads, some wooden guardrails and some lava rock road guides, Robeson told the Garden Island.
Robeson applauded many residents, including House Rep. Mina Morita, who represents the North Shore, who helped forged the draft plan and have done what they could to preserve the roadway and surrounding areas.
But Kyono played a key role as well, she said. “We would never have gone this far without him,” Robeson said. “The community sentiment and his sense of humor made it possible.”
Wilson, who is a member of the North Shore Belt Advisory Committee and is a longtime friend and ally of Robeson, echoed Robeson’s sentiments.
“I think Steve’s role was remarkable and unique as the state road engineer, in recognizing the unique value of that section of the North Shore road,” Wilson said.
The preservation effort had its genesis more than 30 years ago, Kyono said.
In the early 1970s, state DOT officials looked at building a concrete, two-lane bridge to replace the aging single-lane, steeltruss Hanalei Bridge.
DOT officials, however, put aside that dream mainly due to opposition from residents seeking preservation of the bridge and wanting to maintain the area’s rural atmosphere, Kyono said. Wilcox and the members of the Hanalei Roads Committee felt that way. Eventually, a brand new Pratt truss, single-lane bridge was put in place where the rusting steel bridge had stood.
The bride is almost an identical replica of the truss bridge that began carrying motorists over the Hanalei River in 1912.
The public’s sentiment against building something bigger and better in the 1970s that could help improve public transportation needs caught him of guard, because the thinking of road engineers at that time was to “build and build,” Kyono said.
Kyono first worked for the DOT on Kaua‘i from 1975 to 1984. He then worked as the county engineer for Kaua‘i County under the late Mayor Tony T. Kunimura, himself an advocate of growth to bring economic prosperity to island residents.
Kyono rejoined the DOT in 1991, becoming the head of the DOT’s Highways Division Office on Kauai, a position he holds today.
“The training we get as engineers is to build highways and build bigger and better highways,” Kyono said. “That is a mindset. Engineers are not necessarily trained to preserve.”
At about the time he took over the reins of his new job, he met with Wilcox to discuss the preservation of exiting structures on the North Shore, including the Hanalei Bridge.
“Meeting her allowed me to be re-educated about the importance of the preservation of existing structures in our community,” Kyono said.
Preservation was and is the operating word for many residents there, and he said is always willing to listen.
“The concern they have is the bottom line,” Kyono said. “We have this ambiance, this feeling that is there when you go to the North Shore. When you cross the Hanalei Bridge, you enter what I consider to be the old Hawai‘i of 40 years ago.”
Kyono said Wilcox shared with me “their (community residents from the North Shore) desire to preserve as much as possible.”
“Obviously, there is beauty out there,” Kyono said. “There was a great deal of effort put out by the community to keep Hanalei and the North Shore the way it is.”
Kyono said that Wilcox communicated with DOT and with him and voiced the need for drafting a comprehensive plan on state highway structures on North Shore.
That plan eventually became the draft plan that was released last December.
That plan had a different orientation when representatives for Belt Collins and Associates, a DOT consultant, began working on it in 2002, Robeson said.
“It started out as a traditional engineering plan, but changed due to public concerns about keeping the ten miles of road rural,” Robeson said.
Community residents came out to at least three meetings on Kaua‘i and strongly voiced that preference, Robeson said. Between 40 and 80 people attended the individual meetings to knock home their point.
Efforts by the Hanalei Roads Committee to have the road placed on historical registers, the existence of the old plan that essentially called for more structures and community sentiment to keep the North Shore rural motivated DOT officials to revise their plan to reflect the community’s desires, Robeson said.
DOT responded by hiring subcontractors who are specialists in preservation, Robeson said. Barbara Shideler, a Honolulu architect, and Dan Marriott, author of “Saving Historic Roads” were subsequently hired, Robeson said.
At about the same time, a citizens advisory committee was assembled to help with the drafting of the plan.
It consists of deputy Kaua‘i County engineer Ladye Martin, House Rep. Mina Morita, who had been represented by Brian Hennessy, Barbara Baker, Mary Cooke, Mamo Cummings, Rodney Haraguchi, Michael Loo, Ed Matsukawa, David Sproat, Glen Takenouchi, Carol Wilcox, Chipper Wichman, Naomi Yokotake and Robeson.
Four meetings were held with Belt Collins and Associates in developing the draft plan.
Kyono said the plan has been worked on for nearly four years, and he is happy with what has occurred so far.
“We are the point at which the community feels good, and I feel good about it,” Kyono said.
The collaboration of folks involved with the plan was “unique,” Robeson said.
“It is always a challenge for government) agencies to work with communities. But because of Steve’s leadership, they were able to work with the community and with the North Shore, which is very active,” Robeson said.
Kyono says he will try to move in harmony with that spirit and has pledged to work with the community in getting their input before any work is done on the ten-mile corridor.
Robeson said bridges are a touchy matter with her and others, but she said she is happy there now exists a plan that in her mind will only allow one-lane bridges on the North Shore.
Putting a two-lane bridge can be done in parts of Kauai, but the North Shore, with the narrow roads and rural ambiance, isn’t one of them, Kyono said.
“You can’t go in there and take out a one-lane bridge and plunk in a two-lane bridge,” Kyono said.
Lester Chang, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and lchang@pulitzer.net.
