LIHUE – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is updating on continued closures of Kuhio Highway (Route 560) on the north shore of Kauai at mile marker 1 approaching Hanalei Bridge (“Hanalei Hill”).
Work today, March 15, involved installing barriers, rock fence, and a side barrier on downslope. A GPS system to provide real time alerts of any slope movement to traffic control personnel, KEMA, and our staff was also installed. Approximately two dozen contractors and HDOT employees worked to address the roughly 15,000 cubic yards of debris from the March 9 and 11 landslides.
An emergency access lane for responders will be opened Tuesday, March 16. This will be for emergency access for the County to provide critical services – sanitation, potable water, fire suppression, first responders, etc. This emergency access period could last approximately two days. The emergency access list will be coordinated with the County and checked at security check points on either side of the slide. We will be working on a plan to provide public access after that period that will restrict access during construction hours and ensure efficient single lane alternating movement through the area.
Monitoring of the road above the Hanalei Hills landslide, Kuhio Highway between Kolopua Apartments and Hanalei Plantation Road, will continue and HDOT will maintain this closure out of an abundance of caution.
Engineers were ferried to Kuhio Highway at mile marker 4.5 near Waikoko. A single lane closure remains in place for this section of road.
Daily updates and photos will be posted at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/2021-hanalei-hill-landslide/ until highway access for the communities of Hanalei, Wainiha, and Haena is restored.
Photos of work at Hanalei Hills on March 15, 2021 can be found at:
https://hidot.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Hanalei-Hill-20210315-AM-1.jpg
https://hidot.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Hanalei-Hill-20210315-AM-2.jpg
https://hidot.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Hanalei-Hill-20210315-AM-3.jpg
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