MAKAHA – Coastal erosion continues to plague some of Hawaii’s most vital roadways, this time in West Oahu.
State transportation officials are now asking for the creation of a traffic emergency zone in Makaha to make repairs.
Farrington Highway is the only way in and out for the furthest community on Oahu’s west side, and now that access is being threatened.
The DOT said waves are eating away at the shoulder and guardrail of a section of the highway near Keaau Beach.
“A 200 foot section of the makai shoulder has been eroded. The embankment that leads from the highway down to the shoreline ocean has been washed away completely,” said DOT District Engineer Ryan Nakata.
On Sunday, the DOT held a required virtual public meeting to announced the creation of a traffic emergency zone, which allows officials to bypass certain permit and procurement procedures.
“What we need to do to repair this, is we are going to stack boulders to form a wall embankment, then behind that wall we are going to be pouring a low strength material of concrete,” explained Nakata.
According to DOT engineers, workers will need to set up a contraflow lane for repairs on the two-lane highway, starting Monday.
The work is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The DOT says repairs for that section of Farrington Highway will likely take two weeks.
As for long-term plans, officials say they are considered possibly moving the highway more inland, but that’s expected to have a price tag between $70 million and $100 million.
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