(BIVN) – The National Park Service recently provided an update on the various disaster recovery construction projects following the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse. 

As the current summit eruption of Kīlauea remains paused, park officials remind visitors should still expect delays and detours at the park entrance and Crater Rim Drive. Those delays usually increase during the volcano’s ongoing eruptive episodes. 

These construction updates were provided by the National Park Service: 

Roundabout Work. Construction of a roundabout on Crater Rim Drive just west of the park entrance is underway. Starting May 19 for the next six weeks, vehicles entering the park must use the gravel lane on the right and detour through the Kīlauea Visitor Center parking lot. Vehicles exiting the park will be routed through the park administration and housing area. Please slow down, drive safely and stay alert! The roundabout will make driving in the park much safer and easier. It is part of a larger plan to realign Crater Rim Drive that also includes an additional administrative lane at the entrance for park staff and partners. The roundabout is scheduled to be finished in September 2025.

Kīlauea Visitor Center Renovation. Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC) is closed during a thoughtfully planned renovation to increase visitor use space and preserve the historic character of building. The closure includes the building, restrooms, sidewalks, water station and most adjacent parking. The park film and programs held in the KVC auditorium are temporarily suspended. Visitor services and the park store are available 1.2 miles west to the Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp, adjacent to the lobby. Volcano House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery remain open with parking available, and Hele-On bus continues to service passengers near KVC. 

Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp (NPS photo)

Welcome to the Welcome Center! While Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation, park rangers, the NPS Passport stamp station, Junior Ranger books, visitor services and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store have relocated to the temporary Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp (KMC) on Crater Rim Drive east, about a 1.2 mile drive from the closed visitor center. Park at the adjacent ballfield; parking in front of KMC is for registered guests only. The Welcome Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Where to Go? Portable toilets are available behind the Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp, at the nearby ballfield parking lot, near Kīlauea Visitor Center and the Volcano Art Center Gallery, and at Uēkahuna. Vault toilets are available at Kīlauea Overlook, Kīlauea Iki Overlook, Devastation, Maunaulu, Hilina Pali Overlook, Kulanaokuaiki, the end of Chain of Craters Road, Kīpukapuaulu day use area, and Kahuku. The Nāhuku comfort station is now open and renovated.

Got Water? Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park need to bring their own drinking water for their park adventures. The water station at Kīlauea Visitor Center is unavailable during the renovation closure. A bottle filling station will be reinstalled at Uēkahuna once it reopens in the months ahead. Water is available for purchase at Volcano House.

Volunteers and staff plant native plant species at Uēkahuna. (NPS Photo)

Uēkahuna Update. The deconstruction project to remove buildings and infrastructure damaged by the 2018 summit collapse at Kīlauea volcano is nearly complete. The observation deck and historic stone walls, once crumbling and riddled with fractures from the 2018 earthquakes, are repaired. An outline of the former Jaggar Museum footprint includes stones from the original columns to commemorate the historic building. This area, where Jaggar Museum and the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory facilities once stood, is being restored to a more natural landscape, with uninterrupted views of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) and improved trail access. Native shrubs, grasses and trees have been replanted on the landscape. Uēkahuna and its comfort station will fully reopen to visitors in in the weeks ahead.

Highway 11 Hole Drilling and Power Pole Replacement. HELCO’s Line Relocation and Replacement project continues with hole digging and power pole replacement along Highway 11 in the park. The upgrades will provide more reliable electricity island-wide. Sections of this line were built in the early 1950s. The project went out to the public for comment. More information and the Environmental Assessment can be found online.