Dept. of Transportation to use $3M in quick release funds to maintain safe access to West Maui

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation shares that it will use the $3 million dollars in quick release Emergency Relief funding from the Federal Highway Administration for necessary work to maintain safe access to West Maui via Honoapiʻilani Highway (Route 30) and the Lahaina Bypass.

“We’re grateful for the continued support from our partners at FHWA and the speedy response to our request for emergency funding,” said Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen. “The funding will ensure that we can minimize risks from dust, erosion, and other factors to our emergency responders, residents, and others that need to go to West Maui.”

As a reminder, the County of Maui has limited access to Honoapiʻilani Highway between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to West Maui residents, first responders, and those working in West Maui. All motorists may enter from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Work covered under the initial quick release ER funding includes:

• Installation of a 12-foot-high dust screen around Lāhainā that will stretch roughly 30,000 feet (i.e., more than 5 1/2 miles). The dust fence will minimize contaminants and other material from blowing onto highway users on Honoapiʻilani Highway and the Lāhainā Bypass.
• Deployment of battery-operated traffic signals
• Erosion control
• Sign installation
• Guardrail installation
• Deployment of barriers to aid in traffic control
• Personnel costs for traffic control by law enforcement

Additional ER funding will be requested to aid the recovery efforts from the Maui Wildfire Disaster. The FHWA ER program is intended to be used for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways which have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause on a cost share basis.