Kūhiō Highway to Reopen to Public Access on Saturday

Kūhiō Highway by Hanalei Hill will reopen Saturday, March 20, to public access.

The road was shut down after landslides covered the roadway on March 9 and 11, cutting off the North Shore communities. Hawai‘i Department of Transportation has been working for several days to stabilize the hillside and restore access to the area.

An emergency access lane was established on Tuesday, March 16. Work to clear the road is still ongoing.

Public access is scheduled through March 20-26 for various times of the day. Afternoon access was planned around Hanalei School schedule. The schedule is below:

Morning access: 5:45 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.
Afternoon access: 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day except Wednesdays
Wednesday afternoon access: 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Evening access: 5:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.

On March 27-28, the highway will be open from 5:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. During access hours the highway at Hanalei Hill will be open to single lane, alternating traffic for passenger cars and light trucks. These vehicles will be escorted through the work zone by a pilot vehicle.

Heavy trucks will not be allowed at Hanalei Hill until further notice due to concerns with loads on the highway near the landslide. A detour for these vehicles, Ford Super Duty F-350, Ram 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and GMC Sierra 3500 or larger, has been established via Ka Haku Road, Lei O Papa Road, and Hanalei Plantation Road.

On March 29, the contractor will be on a 10-hour workday, six days a week. Public access will continue to follow the morning, afternoon, and evening schedule posted above. On Sundays, when there will be no work at the site, access will be from 5:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The public access schedule will ensure safety, efficient single lane alternating movement through the area, and necessary construction hours for the emergency repairs and long term mitigations.