Evaluation of 110-Year Old East Maui Bridges Set to Begin

Preliminary engineering and environmental compliance studies are set to get underway on Thursday, Jan. 28, for the improvement of the Waikakoi and South Wailua bridges in East Maui.

The County of Maui is evaluating rehabilitation or replacement of these 110-year-old structures to address deterioration and load capacity deficiencies

The County of Maui Department of Public Works, in coordination with the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation are conducting the studies on these bridges, which are located south of Hāna town at mile markers 45.5 and 44.7 on Hāna Highway (Route 31).

The existing bridges carry posted load restrictions of 9 tons (South Wailua Bridge) and 12 tons (Waikakoi Bridge). County officials say the goal of the bridge improvement project is to maintain a safe and functional road for the community.

Beginning Thursday, Jan. 28, residents and motorists may see project staff in the vicinity of the bridges conducting project field work, including topographic surveys, roadway borings, cultural surveys and biological surveys.

Boring activities within the roadway will require overnight road closures. These road closures will be announced in advance to allow for community members to prepare accordingly.

A virtual public meeting will be held in the summer of 2021 to provide additional project information and gather public input.