The County Roads Division is going to replace a 20-year-old bridge on Olohena Road, but the only way to do it is to close the road for a few months. The existing Olohena bridge is about a half-mile west of
The County Roads Division is going to replace a 20-year-old bridge on Olohena Road, but the only way to do it is to close the road for a few months.
The existing Olohena bridge is about a half-mile west of Kapa’a Middle School. Over the years, the compound effect of vehicles passing over the bridge has put a lot of tension on the structure, said Russell Sugano, Roads Division. The bridge is at a low spot in the road, so people tend to speed.
“We keep doing band-aid jobs,” Sugano said. In Nov. 2001, the underlying supports were weakening and had to be repaired, and in March, a new wooden decking was placed over the bridge.
The project should take six to eight months at the maximum to complete. The existing wooden bridge will be removed and replaced with a concrete bridge.
During the construction, motorists will be detoured through Kawaihau Road to get from Kapahi to Kapa’a and vice versa. More details on the detour and road closure will be explained at the informational meeting.
The project will cost a little over a million dollars; federal highway bridge funds will be spent to complete the work.
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 3, 6-8 p.m. at the Kapa’a Neighborhood Center. Those with questions regarding the meeting or project should contact the County’s Roads Division at 241-6631.
