LIHUE — The Hawaii Department of Transportation is on track to open an emergency access route to Wainiha and Haena on Saturday.
LIHUE — The Hawaii Department of Transportation is on track to open an emergency access route to Wainiha and Haena on Saturday.
This one lane route would be used exclusively for emergency responders and coordinated disaster recovery operations, according to HDOT. After the single lane for emergency access is cleared, there will be a 5,000-pound weight restriction placed on the route.
Access for the North Shore community to the single lane is expected by May 7. Speed and weight restrictions to ensure safety will be put in place. After the final repairs, the restrictions will be lifted and access restored to North Shore residents.
The installation of temporary bridges adjacent to the Waioli, Waipa, and Waikoko Bridges will allow HDOT to bring in material for the final repairs to the two areas on Kuhio Highway structurally affected by landslides below the highway.
The Acrow bridges have been ordered and are expected to arrive within two to three weeks. Installation of the bridges following the arrival is expected to take another two to three weeks.
State crews continue to work to stabilize and clear debris on Kuhio Highway from Waikoko to Wainiha, which has been closed since the April 14 flooding due to over a dozen landslides.
Structural inspections of all state bridges in flood affected areas, except for Wailua River Bridge, were completed last Friday. No structural issues were found on any of the inspected bridges. An inspection of Wailua River Bridge will be performed when inspectors are able to view the pier structures in Wailua River. HDOT crews are clearing debris in the river at the mauka Wailua River Bridge.
