Final Environmental Assessment Filed for North Shore Greenway

Baldwin Beach Park file photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

The county Public Works Department submitted a final environmental assessment for the final phase of the North Shore Greenway .

The North Shore Greenway is a seven mile pedestrian and bike path that extends from Kahului to Pāʻia, which has been in discussion and planning for the past 20 years.

The final phase of the bike path will run east from Ulupua Place near the Maui Country Club in Spreckelsville, and connect with the existing path directly east of Baldwin Beach Park in Pāʻia.

The project aims to complete the North Shore Greenway in order to create an alternate and safer route for pedestrians and bikers.

The proposed project runs on the makai side of the Hāna Highway and will replace the existing westbound bike path on the highway, with two proposed easements planned, according to the FEA document.  Plans call for the construction of a new eight foot wide path about 7.5 feet from the highway, with a bridge to be constructed where the path traverses the Kailua Gulch.

According to the Final Environmental Assessment, total cost of the project is estimated at $1.75 million, with construction slated to begin in early 2016, if all approvals and easements are obtained.  The project is expected to take six to nine months to complete.