July 5, 2023
The Hawaii Department of Transportation has announced nightly closures of the Hanalei Bridge and Kuhio Highway between Hanalei Plantation Road and Ohiki Road starting June 27th, 2023 and continuing for approximately six months. The closures are scheduled to take place from 11PM to 5:30AM Sunday nights through Thursday nights. There will be no closures on Friday and Saturday nights.
The closures are for the Hanalei Bridge Repair Project, a project that will refurbish the bridge’s timber deck, address severe corrosion, replace damaged post-tension rods and clean and repaint to protect from corrosion.
(Image source: Hawaii Department of Transportation.)
A temporary bridge alternative was considered but was not selected due to environmental concerns, reports the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
The Hanalei Bridge and the section of Kuhio Highway that will be closed nightly are the only road (and bridge) to Kauai’s North Shore past the town of Princeville. The North Shore area that will be cut-off from the rest of the island includes Hanalei, Wainiha and Haena State Park (Ke’e Beach and the Kalalau Trail). Though the closures will not impact most visitors to the North Shore (as the area generally closes down by 9-10PM), hikers seeking an early start to the Kalalau Trail should plan accordingly. Also, visitors to the North Shore (past the bridge) who are staying elsewhere on the island should leave the area before 11PM to avoid being trapped until morning (though there are worse places to be trapped).
Photos (above) we took during a Hanalei River kayak trip show the underside of the Hanalei Bridge.
