(BIVN) – The district of Kaʻū is working to recover from this weekend’s catastrophic impact of Hurricane Lala, which included severe damage to Highway 11 in multiple places.
On Sunday evening, the Hawai’i Department of Transportation reported:
As of 2:30 p.m. on Hawai‘i Island, a section of Māmalahoa Highway (Route 11) is washed out between mile marker 49.3 and 49.4 in Pāhala, with a section of roadway gone. The bridge structure is intact and debris and mud are expected to be cleared by morning, on Monday, Aug. 17.
Nāʻālehu remains isolated, with Route 11 also blocked between mile marker 56.5 and 62 on the Hilo side and between mile marker 71 and 76 on the Kona side, where utility lines remain across the roadway.
On Monday morning, the Hawaii Police Department reported that the emergency repairs to the bridges on Highway 11 between mile markers 49 and 52 near Pāhala “are for First Responder use only.”
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) reports he spoke with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday about providing federal support as Hawai‘i recovers from Lala.
Schatz says he urged Secretary Duffy to approve a forthcoming request from the state for emergency funding to help clear debris and repair roads and highways that have been damaged by the storm.
“I had a constructive conversation with Secretary Duffy, and he offered to help with Hawai‘i’s recovery from Tropical Storm Lala,” said Senator Schatz. “Clearing and restoring roads is a top priority, and we’re working closely with state and federal agencies to deliver the resources needed to do it as quickly as possible.”
