Highway to close at Waipa Bridge

LIHUE — Don’t get stuck on the wrong side of bridge.

That’s the word after the Hawaii Department of Transportation issued a reminder Monday that the upcoming full weekend closure of Kuhio Highway at Waipa Bridge is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Friday and continue through 5 a.m. Monday.

There will be no vehicular access to Wainiha and Haena as crews work to replace the deck of Waipa Bridge.

“We had way too many visitors stranded on July 2nd &3rd, who said they had no idea that these bridge closures were happening,” said a email sent out by a tourism leader Monday.

Park and Ride sites on either side of the closure, pedestrian access over the bridge, and a shuttle between the Park and Ride and Wainiha General Store and Hanalei Colony Resort will be available for residents and authorized Transient Vacation Rental guests.

“Residents and authorized TVR guests are reminded that the Park and Rides are there to provide access during the full closures and all vehicles remaining at this site when the road reopens for the day should be removed,” according to an HDOT press release.

Following the full weekend closure, work will continue at Waipa and Waikoko bridges, including paving of the road approaching the bridge and installation of speed humps.

HDOT has placed electronic signs to inform the public of the planned closure and coordinated with first responders on emergency staging during the closure.

The closure was initially scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday but was pushed back to accommodate the Waipa Foundation graduation on Friday. The closure was scheduled to avoid the weekends of July 4th and the Haena to Hanalei Run.

On June 27, HDOT announced scheduled nightly closures of Kuhio Highway at Waipa Bridge between 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. for July 1-3 and July 8-11.

“These nightly closures will lead up to the full weekend closure of Kuhio Highway between Waipa Bridge and the end of the road July 12-15,” according to an HDOT press release.