(BIVN) – Crews continue to work to restore access for Kaʻū residents along Highway 11 following the destructive impacts of Hurricane Lala over the weekend.
According to a mid-day update from the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation on Tuesday, “access for first responders and residents is now available through this area, except for a section fronting Pāhala Hospital.”
“A portion of the highway was washed out between mile markers 49.3 and 49.4 in Pāhala, with a section of roadway gone,” the Hawaiʻi DOT reported. “Crews went to assess damage, and the bridge structure is intact.”
The Hawaiʻi DOT added that cleanup work is still required between Pāhala Hospital and the Nāʻālehu Cemetery, from mile marker 50.5 to 65.8. “Both areas can be bypassed using a combination of state, county, and private roads,” the department says.
After touring the impacted area on Monday, Governor Josh Green noted the Kaʻū bridges “may not be as bad off as we thought originally.”
“There was an incredible amount of debris on top of them in the first 48 hours, but the county leadership and the state guys, they were all over it. They’re already removing that debris,” Governor Green said. “We were able to fly very close and look at those bridges; we could see that they structurally looked pretty sound. They are, of course, going to have to do engineering tests to make sure. But we don’t think the community will remain isolated for long.”
The DOT warned “more trees and debris are expected to fall onto the roadways over the next few days as the volume of rain and high winds from the storm have saturated the ground and weakened trees.”
“HDOT encourages motorists to drive with extra caution,” a news release stated. “If encountering a flashing or dark traffic signal, please treat it as a four-way stop.”
