Construction on Puhi Road was delayed after crews encountered wet soil conditions in Puhi that made it difficult to properly compact the roadway base.
A full road closure along a portion of Puhi Road in Puhi began in summer 2025 and has been in effect 24 hours a day, affecting Puhi Road between the intersection of Haleukana and Hanalima Streets.
Crews are currently working to repave the roadway in preparation for reopening Puhi Road to one lane of traffic. Updates will be provided in future news releases as the project progresses.
The completion of the project is anticipated in December, weather permitting.
To move the work forward, crews adjusted their approach and are now using a reinforcing material called geogrid to strengthen the ground beneath the road, according to a news release from Kaua‘i County.
This method may also serve as a long-term solution for other county projects that encounter similar soil conditions.
“The Department of Public Works recognizes that this project has faced multiple delays,” said County Engineer Troy Tanigawa, who also apologized to the community and those who travel through each day.
The work is part of the larger Pūhi Road Rehabilitation Phase II project from the Department of Public Works Engineering Division. Improvements include:
- Reconstruction of Pūhi Road’s weakened pavements using asphalt concrete and/or Portland cement concrete;
- Widening the roadway to accommodate new bike lanes and areas of parallel parking;
- New sidewalk for the west side of Pūhi Road between Kaneka and Hanalima streets;
- New shared-use path along the entire east side of the road.
Motorists are advised to make the appropriate arrangements to accommodate the necessary road closures and allow extra time to get to destinations. During this time, the work zone is a no-parking area. Flaggers will be positioned at the work zone to direct traffic.
For more information or questions, contact Kaiwa Construction at 808-828-1157 or Kathleen Horgan at 808-241-4873 and khorgan@kauai.gov.
