LIHUE – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), in coordination with federal and county agencies, continues the repair efforts on Kuhio Highway, Route 560, on the north shore of Kauai. Considerable progress has been accomplished from the April 14-15, 2018 severe weather event, which produced approximately 50 inches of rain, possibly breaking the nationwide record for most rainfall in a single 24-hour period in recorded history.
Despite the state and county’s best efforts to repair the widespread damage as quickly as possible, on-going weather and environmental challenges, permit issuance procedures, and production rates which have been significantly impacted by the need to accommodate traffic through the construction areas and other factors have led to unavoidable extensions in the project schedule. HDOT anticipates that slope stabilization and roadway repairs between Waikoko and Wainiha will be substantially complete in April 2019. Upon completion of aforementioned work, there will continue to be construction related traffic impacts to complete the renovations to the Waioli, Waipa and Waikoko Bridges, which are anticipated to be substantially complete May 2019, weather permitting.
In addition to devasting damage to Kuhio Highway, there was also extensive damage to Haena State Park and Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, both of which remain closed to visitors.
The convoy between Wainiha and Waikoko will continue to operate until such time as HDOT determines that it is safe to allow access without it.
Additionally, last week, Mayor Derek Kawakami extended the County’s Emergency Proclamation and Emergency Rule prohibiting transient vacation rentals (TVR) in the area and limiting access to local residents and project workers. The proclamation and rule have been extended until the first week of March 2019. To view Kauai County’s news release please click here.
Total cost for the Kuhio Highway Emergency Repairs from the historic April flood is estimated at $77.2 million. Approximately 90-percent of the repair cost will be covered through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief program, which assists states with repair and/or reconstruction costs from extraordinary damage due to natural disasters.
To view the HDOT Kuhio Highway emergency repairs webpage, which has additional project status information, the convoy schedule, links to previous news releases and allows people to sign up for weekly email updates click here.
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An updated FAQ for this project can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/kuhio-highway-emergency-repairs-frequently-asked-questions/