Emergency Access Route to Wainiha and Hā‘ena to Open Saturday

Kauaʻi Aerial survey. PC: Hawaiʻi DLNR.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation continues to work to stabilize and clear debris on Kauai’s Kūhiō Highway following the April 14, 2018 flood event. The highway from Waikoko to Wainiha has been closed since the flooding due to over a dozen landslides.

Transportation officials say crews are on track to open an emergency access route to Wainiha and Hāʻena on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

This one lane route would be used exclusively for emergency responders and coordinated disaster recovery operations.  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 on or before Monday, May 7, 2018.

The installation of temporary bridges adjacent to the Waiʻoli, Waipā, and Waikoko Bridges (the three Ws) will allow HDOT to bring in material for the final repairs to the two areas on Kūhiō Highway structurally affected by landslides below the highway. The design for installation of the temporary Acrow bridges at these sites was almost complete prior to the April flood as the temporary bridges were planned to facilitate future work on the Wainiha Bridges. 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.

Emergency work to restore access to Kūhiō Highway is funded by the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program.

“FHWA Hawaiʻi Division Administrator Ralph Rizzo and his staff have been invaluable in providing support and guidance as we seek to restore access for North Kauaʻi,” said HDOT Deputy Director for Highways Ed Sniffen. “Our partners have really come through for the people of Hawaiʻi as we work to recover from this record setting flood.”