Hawaiian Electric announces work on utility poles to reduce wildfire risk

Hawaiian Electric will begin replacing wooden utility poles along Honoapi’ilani Highway in Lahaina later this month as part of its wildfire risk reduction efforts on Maui.

Work is scheduled to run from May 18 through the end of June between Kai Hele Kū Street and Aholo Road. The project involves swapping out 19 wooden poles for composite fiberglass ones designed to withstand hurricane-force winds.

The pole replacement is part of the company’s broader critical pole hardening program, which targets overhead distribution circuits along major travel routes in high-wildfire-risk areas across Maui County, O’ahu and Hawai’i Island. Hawaiian Electric says it prioritizes locations based on wind exposure, vegetation density, proximity to critical infrastructure, and the importance of evacuation routes.

The utility said it is coordinating the Lahaina work with state and county agencies as part of wider emergency management and public safety planning.

The pole hardening effort runs alongside longer-term projects including strategic undergrounding and broader grid modernization.

Drivers traveling through the area should expect traffic delays. Safety signs, arrow boards, traffic cones and flagmen will be in place during work hours.