WAINIHA – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) announces both lanes of Kuhio Highway in Wainiha are open to two way traffic as of 3:10 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. The highway was covered in mud and rock debris after two landslides on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018.
“I appreciate our Kauai District staff‘s efforts to clear the road and restore access to the communities on the other side of the landslides,” said Ed Sniffen, HDOT Deputy Director for Highways. “We’re thankful for the kokua shown by the County of Kauai in the initial response and emergency coordination for the landslides. Our priority was restoring the route and ensuring the unstable material was removed from the nearby slope.”
HDOT crews cleared an emergency access route in the affected area Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 and opened one lane to alternating traffic on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. Rock scaling to remove loose boulders and rocks from the nearby hillside was completed on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 and crews continued to monitor the slope throughout the wet weather today.
HDOT thanks the community for their patience during the work to reopen the highway in Wainiha.
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