State transportation crews prepare rain forecast with the approach of Tropical Storm Moke

Crews with the state Department of Transportation are preparing facilities and working to remove vegetation from streams and saturated hillsides on all islands in preparation for heavy rain forecast with the approach of Tropical Storm Moke.

Maui District: Crews continue to work on the cleanup and repair of Crater Road (Route 378). Crater Road remains closed to the public from milepost 2.5 and is expected to reopen early next week. Additionally, crews have cleared debris under and next to bridges along Hāna Highway (Route 360) and within Ukumehame Stream on Honoapi‘ilani Highway in West Maui. All crews, including those on Molokaʻi, checked low-lying areas and cleaned and cleared adjacent drainage in those spots.

Airport staff at Kahului, Hāna, Kapalua, Moloka‘i, Kalaupapa and Lāna‘i Airports are on standby after completing their pre-storm checklist actions. The only remaining repair from Hurricane Lala at a Maui District airport is the Lāna‘i Terminal roof, which has been temporarily fixed.

Hawaiʻi Island District: On Hawaiʻi Island, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation is repairing Māmalahoa Highway in Ka‘ū on Hawaiʻi Island following damage caused by Hurricane Lala.

As repairs continue on Māmalahoa Highway (Route 11), HDOT continues to request only local/disaster response access between Pāhala and Wai‘ōhinu (mile post 49 to 69.5). Limiting access allows crews to work more effectively. The two major repair areas are fronting Pāhala Hospital at MP 50.5 and in the vicinity of Nā‘ālehu Cemetery at MP 65.8.

Work at the Pāhala Hospital washout is progressing. HDOT has filled approximately 17 feet of the washout that is nearly 25-feet-deep, by 211-feet-long, by 44-feet-wide. Workers are intermixing layers of controlled low-strength concrete (flowable fill) with structural fill, to provide stability and cut off potential water intrusions. After structural fill is completed, HDOT will pave the surface and cover the slopes with flowable fill to protect them from future erosion. At the Nā‘ālehu Cemetery site, HDOT is proceeding cautiously and coordinating debris clearing with the state and county emergency management agencies that are monitoring for potential human remains from the cemetery.

To prepare for future storms, HDOT is removing the debris washed into streams by Lala and all previous storms at mileposts 50, 51.5, 53.5, 54.5 and 56.5. All bridges along Route 11 in Ka‘ū impacted by Lala were inspected and are structurally sound and safe for operations.

Residents and responders are notified that there may be single-lane closures with alternating traffic control at these points on the highway.

At the Hilo International and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airports, crews reinspected drainage, trimmed trees to remove potential hazards, secured equipment, tied down or relocated aircraft and topped off emergency power generators. Staff is also running messages on the Flood Watch in effect for windward and southeast Hawai‘i Island from late Saturday through Monday afternoon. These messages will be updated as forecast conditions change.

O‘ahu District: On O‘ahu crews have reassessed priority streams and reported out the following:

• Mānoa Stream – crews are working with the City and County of Honolulu Department of Facility Maintenance (DFM) to clear Mānoa Stream. Clearing is focused on the stream near Woodlawn bridge this week, having completed clearing from below the bridge to the bend. Crews are now working on the section above the bridge and heading upstream to the next bend.
• Waiawa Stream – crews are continuing to work with DFM to clear the stream where it meets the H-1 and the bike path. Work is expected to continue through early next week and may result in lane closures along Waiawa Road.
• Ka‘alaea Stream – clearing rock and debris below the bridge at Kamehameha Highway and downstream of the bridge. Stream clearing here will continue tomorrow. 
• Waiāhole Stream – crew will continue clearing debris at bridge tomorrow.  
• Kalihi Stream – crew is clearing debris at bridge through tomorrow.  

Crews have also closed the right lane in both directions at the Pali Highway (Route 61) tunnels to remove fallen trees behind the fencing and leaning trees that could fall if the slope becomes saturated. Tree removal at this site was completed at 4 p.m.

Preventive tree removal will continue tomorrow from 7 a.m. on Kamehameha Highway near Crouching Lion. Highway users are advised to expect a single-lane closure with alternating traffic control.

The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), staff is monitoring the storm. Both the HNL and Honolulu Harbor departmental operations centers are prepared to activate if the weather situation calls for it.

Kaua‘i District: Kaua‘i Highways is continuing to clear the trestles from Wailua River Bridge and is clearing vegetation from the vicinity of Kainahola Bridge on the Temporary Kapa‘a Bypass Road. The vegetation clearing at Kainahola is expected to continue through next week.

Lῑhu‘e Airport staff reports that its air-side and land-side inspections and pre-storm preparations have been completed and staff is standing by.