The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation is declaring a traffic emergency zone on Kaumualiʻi Highway (Route 50) near milepost 10.1 in ʻŌmaʻo.
A traffic emergency zone declaration allows the Department of Transportation to accelerate procurement and waive certain permitting requirements.
In response to a recurring pothole, the Department of Transportation conducted exploratory excavation at this location which revealed the top of a subsurface void, approximately 10 feet below the pavement. The void measures approximately 12 feet wide, 8 feet high and extends at least 60 feet in length.
The void is believed to be an abandoned, unlined irrigation tunnel that likely served agricultural operations prior to construction of the existing concrete box culvert. The recommended emergency mitigation measure to stabilize the subsurface void is placement of flowable fill to restore support beneath the roadway and prevent further deterioration.
Failure of the roadway at this location would require closure of Kaumualiʻi Highway, severing the only state highway access for residents and communities west of ʻŌmaʻo.
A hearing within 24 hours of the designation is required, so the Department of Transportation will be hosting this hearing virtually through Microsoft Teams at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 23.
The Teams meeting may be accessed here, or by dialing into 808-829-4853 with the conference ID 874 798 395#.
