Ask the Mayor: When Will South Kīhei Road Reopen?

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his staff.

Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, 270-7855 or mail them to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793.

Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

Hello:

Q: I drive daily to work from Kīhei to Wailuku, and now that the tourists are back, traffic is getting very backed up turning onto Pi‘ilani Highway by Sugar Beach in the afternoon.

If South Kīhei Road was reopened, it would assist in relieving this traffic backup.

When is South Kihei Road opening again?

A: The Waiakoa Drainage Repair project is expected to be completed by the beginning of March, 2018.

The project, coordinated by the County of Maui Department of Public Works (DPW), involves the demolition of the existing 48-inch and 24-inch pipe culverts crossing South Kihei Road and associated structures. It also includes the construction of twin 10-by-3-foot concrete box culverts with concrete railings; clearing and grubbing; earthwork; reconstruction of pavement areas; cold planing and installation of guardrails, signage, pavement markings and other incidental items.

The contractor is Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., with a contract cost of $1.876 million. While work is ongoing, the state Department of Public Works asks that drivers plan their routes to allow additional time and to drive safely.

For more information, call the DPW Engineering Division at (808) 270-7745.