Part of the Great Kuakini Wall, courtesy the Ane Keohokalole EIS

November 28, 2009 - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
VIDEO by David Corrigan

On Tuesday, the County of Hawaii proudly announced the arrival of $35 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to go towards the Ane Keohokalole Highway planned for Kona.

State and County officials worked hard to meet all the deadlines needed to qualify for the federal stimulus funds. Mayor Billy Kenoi applauded the efforts of Deputy Managing Director Wally Lau, Public Works Director Warren Lee and Executive Assistant Bobby Command, who worked with consultant Belt Collins Hawaii to complete an environmental assessment, design and engineering for this road.

One of the greatest challenges in the fast tracked planning process was dealing with the sensitive issues important to the Native Hawaiian Community, like burials found in the area of the potential impact, and the treatment of archeological findings in the path of the project, like a part of the Great Kuakini Wall.

In this video, steering committee members talk about working closely with the Hawaii Island Burial Council and the Native Hawaiian community concerning the treatment of the iwi.

In addition to the burial issue, the Federal Highways Administration agreed with Hawaii County to set aside about 10 percent of the stimulus funds on a 25-acre area established by the Queen Liliuokalani Trust to preserve and protect archaeological sites along Palani Road. The County says this preserve area will be celebrated with an interpretive center where children, residents and visitors can learn about a once vibrant agricultural community in this part of Hawaii.

The County says it was the Queen Liliuokalani Trust that donated the property for most of the first phase of the highway. Hawaii County worked closely with the trust and descendants of Ane Keohokalole, who recommended respectful treatment and protocol for the treatment of cultural sites and Native Hawaiian iwi.

Ane Keohokalole, the namesake of the Mid-Level Road, was the mother of Queen Liliuokalani.