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TheBus rolls
to the rescue of
North Shore

Private cars banned, but city buses
are using Kamehameha Highway
to get commuters across

Bus schedules

By Suzanne Tswei
Star-Bulletin

City buses are being allowed to travel where cars have been banned since March 6 when the state closed Kamehameha Highway after a rockslide.

The state decided to allow the buses to run through the closed area of the highway from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, because a section of the "Menehune Connector" beach bypass road at Waimea Bay was washed out Friday.

"We had looked at opening the road (Kamehameha Highway) to vehicles, but we feel the situation is still too dangerous to let private vehicles through," said Marilyn Kali. When asked why the highway is open only for buses and not for other vehicles, Kali cited concerns about liability.

"We feel that since city buses are government vehicles, we can accept the liability for government vehicles but not private vehicles. Right now we are offering a very limited type of (bus) service to see how it goes. We have concerns about it, but we feel it is safer with the bus than private (small) vehicles," Kali said.

By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Waiting for their morning ride to Kahuku High School, the McInnis
cousins, from left to right, Rita, Kimberly, Janis, Kenny, and Marvin,
watch for their bus today on Kamehameha Highway.

The removal of the loose rocks on the cliff face over the highway is two-thirds completed, making the situation safer than before, Kali said. The rock removal had to be halted because of the rain, but the remaining work can be completed in about a week, she said.

The heavy downpour over the weekend loosened small rocks, which fell steadily onto the highway yesterday, she said. But the small rocks are not expected to pose a danger to city buses.

"We felt we had to do something to get people to work and to school, and walking on the beach is just not an option," Kali said. "It's not just walking on the sand. You have to wade through the water -- especially for schoolchildren, it's just too dangerous."

With the highway and the bypass road closed, commuters braved the hip-high and churning waters of the Waimea River and dodged moderately high surf to cross Waimea Bay.

"It's not that bad," said Tom Yamaguchi, who crossed to get to choir practice at Liliuokalani Protestant Church in Haleiwa. Yamaguchi, who lives in Pupukea, left his car on the Haleiwa side of Waimea Bay.

"You just have to deal with it," he said. "It's not a good situation. Some people get angry, but there are other people, like me, who just learn to deal with it."

City lifeguards helped people cross the chilly water by giving them rides on surfboards and a borrowed fishing boat.

"The water is up to peoples' hips, but there are still people coming across. We are doing our best to discourage it, but people have to go across anyway. So we just do our best to help them," said lifeguard Lt. John Hoogsteden.

"We have surf in the 3- to 6-foot range, which is also washing over the sandbar. That makes the water (in the river) higher and makes it flush out harder," Hoogsteden said, noting that the crossing was difficult and dangerous.

Under a steady rain yesterday, construction crews were bulldozing sand to prepare to rebuild the foundation for the bypass road when the weather lets up. Construction crews are on standby to begin work around the clock as soon as the water level recedes enough to allow road repair work to begin, Kali said.

The rebuilding of the bypass road is estimated to take 24 to 36 hours.

"We are doing the best that we can. At this point, we don't have a whole lot of options. There's nothing we can do except to wait. We cannot jeopardize the safety of the workers," Kali said.

Bidding for the construction of the new stretch of Kamehameha Highway will begin tomorrow, Kali said. Bids will be opened April 10 and the lowest bidder will be awarded the contract.

"We expect the winning contractor to mobilize immediately. They must go to work the next day.

"If they can not begin work the next day, they will not get the contract," she said.

Construction of the highway is estimated to cost $4 million. State officials are applying for federal emergency relief funds to help pay the bill.

Bus schedules From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., The Route 55 bus will run from Waimea Falls Adventure Park to Turtle Bay Hilton Hotel, then through Windward Oahu and on to Ala Moana Center. During the same hours, Route 52 will run from Shark's Cove through Haleiwa to Ala Moana. Extra shuttles will be added to shuttle commuters between Shark's Cove and Waimea Falls. Road Debris Chunks of the "Menehune Connector" road washed into the ocean can be dangerous to beachgoers. Divers will survey the area and remove any loose construction material from the ocean as soon as weather permits. Call 485-6200 to report any debris and arrange for pickup. For information Call the state transportation department hotline, 587-2345, for updates.