State DOT Breaks Ground For Wailua River Bridge Repair Project

Work will get underway in July to repair the Wailua River Bridge.

The state Department of Transportation recently had a groundbreaking ceremony for the $55.7 million project, which should be finished by the end of 2024.

“This is a critical infrastructure project for Kaua‘i, and it’s the kind of work that Gov. (David) Ige has made a top priority for his administration,” Jade Butay, director of the DOT, said in a press release.

The Wailua River Bridge was constructed in 1945. The 424-foot-long structure is supported by seven concrete piers, which are in turn supported by timber piles that were driven into the riverbed more than 70 years ago.

The wooden piles will be replaced by reinforced concrete piles, which will much better stand up to the scouring of heavy rains and flooding. A new pier will also be constructed between the piles to offer support to the existing superstructure.