Highways

KAHULUI – The Kahoma Stream Bridge in Lahaina, part of the Honoapiilani Highway Realignment Project, also known as the “Lahaina Bypass,” received the 2013 Overall Grand Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Hawaii Section, at a ceremony this past weekend.  The ASCE Hawaii Section annually recognizes an exemplary civil engineering project that best illustrates superior civil engineering skills and represents a significant contribution to civil engineering progress and society. 

“The Hawaii Department of Transportation and our Highways Division is honored to receive this very prestigious engineering award,” said state Department of Transportation Director Glenn Okimoto.  “Completion of this bridge was a key component in the first segment of the Lahaina Bypass, giving motorists a new alternate route to bypass the busiest section of Lahaina Town.”

The 360-foot, two-lane bridge structure, which spans the Kahoma Stream Gulch, utilizes an inverted tier arch design, which places support beams below the road surface rather than above.  This design was selected to minimize obstructions of ocean views for motorists and the Lahaina community.  The unique support beam design also eliminates the need for foundation pillars below the bridge which leaves the Kahoma Stream unobstructed.  Construction of the bridge was completed at an approximate cost of $24.3 million.

The project will now be submitted to the ASCE national competition for consideration against other construction projects nationwide.

 

The new bridge, seen above under construction, utilizes an inverted tier arch design, which places arched support beams below the road surface rather than above.  This design was selected to minimize obstructions of ocean views for motorists and the Lahaina community.

 

Seen here after completion, the bridge design eliminates the need for foundation pillars below which leaves the Kahoma Stream unobstructed.