North Shore road closed 2 more weeks

LIHUE — The state Department of Transportation expects to open a one-lane route on Kuhio Highway to Wainiha and Haena by May 7, weather permitting.

Given the conditions in the area, travel along this route will be limited to emergency access until further notice, a press release said.

“I’m grateful to our team working to reestablish access to these communities in the Hanalei District,” said Gov. David Ige.

HDOT, along with state, county, and federal agencies, has been working since April 14 to reopen Kuhio Highway from Waikoko to Wainiha.

HDOT-led crews have been working to clear over a dozen landslides on Kuhio Highway on the North Shore of Kauai and are working to stabilize two sites, one in Waikoko and one immediately east of Wainiha Bridge No. 1.

The slopes in this area will be stabilized with an anchor system using soil nails and shotcrete or Teccomesh, HDOT said.

To expedite disaster recovery operations in the area, HDOT is bringing in temporary Acrow bridges to provide increased capacity for the bridges areas at Waioli, Waipa and Waikoko streams.

The temporary Acrow bridges have capacity for 25-ton loads, while the existing bridges are weight restricted to 8 tons.

HDOT will continue to work on stabilizing the road base and assess the slope faces exposed by the landslides. Once the geotechnical assessments and designs are completed, a timeline for the full opening of Kuhio Highway from Waikoko to Wainiha will be provided.

“Having emergency access allows us to continue to concentrate on relief efforts, while we remain diligent in our plans for a full reopening,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. “We are grateful to our state, its contractors, and our community members for working tirelessly together to bring relief to every family and business that’s been affected.”