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Proposal would
keep one-lane
Hana bridges

State officials seek an exemption
to the two-lane requirement
for federal funds

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By Gary Kubota
Star-Bulletin

WAILUKU -- State and federal transportation officials appear ready to set in motion a way to keep many of rural Hana's bridges one lane and still receive major funding from the U.S government.

Officials are considering allowing an exception to the two-lane federal bridge standard at the one-lane Kaholopo Bridge in east Maui.

Click for last October's story, video and multimedia package

"It appears it's going to gain an exception," said federal highways engineer Domingo Galicinao. "We still have to review each on a case-by-case basis, but it will set a precedent."

Galicinao said state officials are in the final stages of reviewing the proposal, and federal funds could be committed this year toward replacing it if the proposal is sent to his office by May.

Support for maintaining the 46 one-lane bridges along Hana Road has been growing as the 68-mile route linking rural communities gains historic recognition.

A number of bridges, dating back to the early 1900s, are in need of replacement or repair.

Hana residents say the one-lane bridges should not be widened to two lanes because they would encourage motorists to speed on a road where the posted limit from Kaupakalua to Hana is 10 to 15 miles an hour.

The Maui County Cultural Resources Commission this week recommended placing the Hana Road on the National Register of Historic Places.

The recommendation now goes to the mayor, who is likely to support it.

"It basically recognizes that it's a significant property," said Carol Ogata, an official with the state Historic Preservation Division.

By Blaine Fergerstrom, Starbulletin.com
Make-Man Bridge (Dead-Man Bridge) is about two miles outside
Hana town on a county portion of Hana Highway. The county last
year was going to upgrade the bridge to two-lane, modern
standards, but the community spoke loudly against it
and the plan was abandoned.

Last year, the Hana Road was designated a "Millennium Legacy Trail" by the White House.

Galicinao said the federal government is trying to accommodate people who want to preserve the historic character of the Hana corridor.

In the past, county public works officials balked at replacing one-lane Hana bridges with a single lane and supported two-lane spans that met federal requirements and qualified for 80 percent matching federal funds.

Under Public Works director David Goode, the county has sought an exception to federal design standards and asked to keep the Kaholopo Bridge as a one-lane span. The bridge is about 14 feet wide and would be replaced with a 16-foot bridge allowing more space for pedestrian traffic.

Galicinao said the construction at Kaholopo will cost about $800,000.

Galicinao said he and several state officials visited Vermont and Oregon in September last year to examine one-lane bridges that received exceptions and qualified for matching federal highway funds.

He said the traffic was generally less on those mainland bridges than in Hana. But he also found some similarities between the historic Columbia River Highway and Hana.

County Deputy Public Works director Milton Arakawa said he was optimistic that state officials would approve the exception to the bridge design.