Whatever Happened To...
An update on past news
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Round Top Drive’s fix waits on committee
Question: What ever happened to the city, state and federal governments' efforts to reopen Round Top Drive?
Answer: Round Top Drive has been closed since the end of March above Maunalaha Valley after heavy rain caused landslides and undermined the roadway.
Last month, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye toured the area and promised $1 million in federal money to help reopen Round Top Drive within six months.
The senator's office said this week they are waiting to see if the money survives a House-Senate conference committee. The $1 million is in the Senate's version of an emergency supplemental appropriations bill.
Marvin Char, chief of the Civil Division of the city Department of Design and Construction, said consultant R.M. Towill is designing an interim fix to Round Top Drive that the city still hopes to complete in the next five to six months.
The cost of R.M. Towill's contract is still being negotiated, Char said.
A permanent fix, including stabilizing the hillside, is expected to cost more than $20 million.
Asked about its progress, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources e-mailed a written statement saying that it is waiting to review the city's studies of the area and for the release of $4.4 million in emergency funds approved earlier this month by the Legislature before hiring its own consultants and determining what needs to be done to stabilize the hillside.
This update was written by Craig Gima.
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