WAILUA — It’s taking longer than expected to complete repairs on Loop Road, the Kauai community’s main access to the east side of the Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve.
Locals say most times a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required to make it through to the end of the road, but months of rain have worsened conditions. Parts of streams have been rerouted down the road, though, and created washed-out, unstable conditions.
The state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources started fixing that road in September via contracted local company Wa‘alani Enterprises. The $500,000 project was expected to take about five months.
The weather hasn’t been cooperating.
“In the past month there has been a lot of rain, so progress has been slow,” said Sheri Mann, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife Kauai branch manager.
DLNR did not provide an update on the status of the roadwork, nor an anticipated date of when that’s expected to be completed.
Mann did confirm that the east side of the Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve is still technically closed to the public due to those hazardous conditions, but has provided a small loophole to the rule.
That comes in the form of a gate across the road, left open over the weekends so people can access the forest reserve from Friday night through Monday morning.
“The state does not recommend people drive in there when the gate is open due to a number of dangerous incidents that have occurred. If the public drives into that forest reserve, it is at your own risk,” Mann said.
Rain is also causing more work for those managing the vegetation around the Keahua Bridge spanning the first crossing at the end of Kuamoo Road. The $2.5-million vehicle and pedestrian bridge was installed in 2016.
Since then, there have been problems with illegal graffiti and complaints from the community that the area tends to be overgrown with grass, weeds and trees. There are also reports of other illegal activities. DOFAW says they’re working on addressing those issues as well.
“DOFAW has also tried to address the illegal access happening around the Keahua Bridge and is trying to clean up the ongoing graffiti issues,” Mann said. “With so much rain, managing the vegetation around the bridge has been a real challenge.”
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Jessica Else, environment reporter, can be reached at 245-0452 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.
