Waimea River project meeting scheduled

WAIMEA — The county Department of Public Works invites the public to participate in a virtual public meeting regarding the Waimea River ford crossing project.

The meeting is Thursday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Join at bit.ly/3odunU2.

The county proposes to replace the existing Waimea River earthen crossing with a hardened crossing to prevent erosion of the crossing and to reduce the amount of maintenance required.

The existing river crossing includes an earthen and gravel ford crossing.

During periods of extremely high storm flows, the roadway materials are transported downstream. As a result, vehicular access to the east bank is not available until storm flows recede and maintenance crews reconstruct a new, earthen roadway.

The DPW has identified the following objectives of the project:

• To protect the health and safety of the public;

• To provide reliable access for residents and farmers across the Waimea River.

A copy of the draft environmental assessment on the project is available on the Office of Environmental Quality Control’s online publication The Environmental Notice. For more info visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/oeqc/