Latest news with #HawaiiDOT
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Highway at Olowalu, Ukumehame to be moved mauka soon
OLOWALU (KHON2) — A major highway project on Maui is nearing the final stages before being contracted out. Controversial STR bill to be heard by Maui Council June 9 The scenic coastal Honoapiʻilani highway is a single two-lane highway that currently serves as the primary access route to and from west Maui, and for years the five-mile stretch has been impacted by storms, waves and high tide events. Honoapiʻilani Highway from Ukumehame to the current bypass at Launiupoko is set to move mauka soon, and the community still has come to comment on what the current highway area will look like in the future. The state Department of Transportation has made it a priority to move the highway mauka for years. 'We're looking at a half-mile up the slope, so it will start on southern end of the bypass where it is now so we'll move it up the slope in that area where we're away from different developments, minimize the land taking of areas people are in,' Hawaii DOT director Ed Sniffen explained. Maps show the highway will begin to shift away from the ocean near Pāpalaua Wayside Park all the way to Olowalu. Sniffen says most of the land for the future route is owned by the county and some unoccupied developer properties will have to be acquired.'The further we can move away from the ocean the better for everyone, from a resiliency perspective, efficiency, and dependability,' Sniffen continued. 'The discussion now is what happens to this existing portion here between the two once we relocate?' Sniffen explained. 'Do we keep it as a road? Do we turn it into a bike and pedestrian path? Get rid of it all together? Those are things [The Nature Conservancy] are studying now.' The Nature Conservancy received a grant from Senator Brian Schatz to look at what happens to the lower, current road, once the state finishes building the new upper road. 'The realignment of Honoapiʻilani Highway offers an incredible opportunity for us to look forward and envision what this coastal corridor could look like, how we can protect the area as much as possible,' explained Tamara Farnsworth, Coastal Resilience Project manager for The Nature Conservancy. The group has held several community meetings with ideas ranging from wetland restoration, native vegetation restoration, boardwalks, bike paths, stream restoration and more. 'This is a very special place, hundreds of cultural resources in the area, it's of utmost importance that those are protected and the resources are protected,' she continued. Sniffen says when the state turns it over to the county, the areas typically stay with beach access, but it is no longer the main route to get to the area. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The final environmental impact statement will be complete by September. Sniffen said the realignment should begin by Summer 2026 and be completed by early 2029. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Putting rocks on the beach, cutting trees to save Oʻahu highway
KAAAWA, Hawaii (KHON2) — A popular Windward Oʻahu coastline is going through a major change. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The State Department of Transportation said it is necessary to protect Kamehameha Highway in Kaʻaʻawa, but some beachgoers have reservations. The ocean has been slowly eating away at the Kaʻaʻawa Beach shoreline for years, but the Hawaiʻi DOT is preparing to build a rock wall about 400 feet long and 15.5 feet wide to keep the highway from collapsing into the sea. 'I get that your priority is to fix the road, and then in some places, you know,' said Kaneohe resident Shane Brown, 'What's the other option? Are we going to put a road through the middle of the school?' Hawaii vs. Trump: Legal battle brews over climate accountability Roughly 13,000 vehicles pass through this corridor every day, and it is a vital route for both residents and emergency services, but protecting the road comes at a cost. 'And even just being a surfer, I'm not a civil engineer and all that. But there's something where when you build a wall and the water hits it, the sand just goes away,' Brown said. 'Even I can see it looking behind you. We have a rock wall that's just down there. You see where the rock wall is, there's no sand…as soon as it ends, boom, beautiful beach.' Another concern KHON2 heard had to do with the trees that needed to be cut down in order to make room for the project. There are worries it could lead to further problems down the line. 'Seeing the trees removed, it's just more like another punch in the gut to the community, something that they didn't have a say in and it takes away the beauty of the location,' said Haula resident Derrick Pressley. 'The road itself is very important, the question would be, 'Why do we have to take the beach away to secure the road?'' 'Never seen it this bad before,' Maui residents on Kihei & Wailea beach erosion According to the HDOT's environmental assessment: A riprap revetment is the preferred option because it is a longer-term solution for the protection of the critical roadway, which also minimizes reflected energy at the shoreline. Lateral access to the beach is expected to improve following the installment of the revetment due to the absorptive and permeable nature of rock revetments. Kamehameha Highway at Kaaawa Erosion MitigationDraft Environmental Assessment 'They have to remove all this vegetation to be able to put the rocks in a secure way so that the rocks don't just go out into the ocean, because the worst thing would be that they do this project and then the waves break it all apart,' said Brown. The highway is being contraflowed while the project is ongoing; it is expected to be completed before high surf season in the winter. Check out more news from around Hawaii for a link to the full environmental assessment from HDOT. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
