Latest news with #KamehamehaHighway
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.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Motorcyclist critically injured in Kamehameha Highway accident
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A 27-year-old motorcyclist is in critical condition following a crash Friday night on Kamehameha Highway in the Kahaluu area, according to Honolulu police. UFC fighter B.J. Penn asks court to recall arrest warrants The collision happened around 10:37 p.m. when the motorcyclist, who was headed south on the highway, was hit by a car making a left turn onto Wailehua Road from the northbound lane, police impact threw the rider from his motorcycle. Emergency crews rushed him to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Authorities noted he was not wearing a helmet at the time. The driver of the car, a 35-year-old man, was not injured and stayed at the scene. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Police said speed, alcohol, and drugs do not appear to have been factors in the crash. The incident remains under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
