‘OMA‘O — The barricades were removed from the ‘Oma‘o Road bridge Monday morning just in time, as the wail of a siren broke the silence of the serene countryside. Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste drove his Grand Cherokee across the
‘OMA‘O — The barricades were removed from the ‘Oma‘o Road bridge Monday morning just in time, as the wail of a siren broke the silence of the serene countryside.
Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste drove his Grand Cherokee across the two-lane bridge that had just been dedicated, ceremoniously being the first vehicle across the concrete-and-steel structure that replaced a rickety, one-laned, wooden stretch.
But, before the second vehicle containing dignitaries could make its way across the new bridge, an American Medical Response ambulance appeared, its emergency lights blinking and siren wailing as paramedics made their way up the hill in response to a call.
The Rev. Roy K. Sasaki talked about the significance of the little bridge linking the community of ‘Oma‘o with the greater community of Koloa, and there were few among the audience of guests and dignitaries that had not utilized the ‘Oma‘o-to-Koloa link.
The ambulance responding to a medical situation was graphic proof of this significance.
Sixty feet in length, the new steel-and-concrete structure bridges a ravine featuring a small stream at its bottom, and allows ‘Oma‘o residents a link to Koloa.
Two traffic lanes, each 12 feet wide, are complimented by a four-foot sidewalk and bike lane, and a posted speed limit of 25 mph.
Baptiste acknowledged that the project started under the administration of former Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, who was also in the audience and received blessings from Sasaki, who surprised the audience with a harmonica rendition of “Kanaka Wai Wai” prior to starting the formal dedication service.
Nishimura, Katayama & Oki, represented by Neal Hasegawa, provided the design, with construction work being done by Unlimited Construction Services, Inc., Pehurst Construction, Niu Construction/Grace Pacific, Apply-A-Line, and M & H Painting.
The structure cost approximately $1.4 million.
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer / photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
