East Maui Bridge Assessment to Result in Overnight Road Closures

Portions of the Hāna Highway (Route 31) south of Hāna town will be closed overnight from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. beginning Sunday, Feb. 7, through Friday, Feb. 12, for on-site engineering studies.

The Department of Public Works made the announcement saying the closures are needed for workers to safely conduct on-site preliminary engineering studies of roadway conditions. The studies are being conducted in preparation for rehabilitation or replacement of two bridges – South Wailua Bridge at mile marker 44.7 and Waikakoi Bridge at mile marker 45.5.

Traffic will not be able to pass through the work zone during night hours. The roadway will reopen during the day when work is not being performed.

The County is evaluating rehabilitation or replacement of the 110-year-old bridges to mitigate deterioration and load capacity deficiencies. The existing bridges carry posted load restrictions of 9 tons (South Wailua Bridge) and 12 tons (Waikakoi Bridge). The goal of the bridge improvement project is to maintain a safe and functional road for the community.

Motorists are advised to anticipate road closures. They should use alternate routes and schedule trips to avoid the road closures.