Bursting water
mains force closure
of Arizona Memorial
Visitor Center

"I doubt it will be operable
for a while," says a
park ranger

By Burl Burlingame
Honolulu Star-Bulletin

The USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center was shut down yesterday by bursting water mains on the grounds, and may not be open today.

The first sign of trouble came in early afternoon, when the asphalt of the U-turn drive in front of the visitor center began to bubble and erupt.

Water and silt gushed out of the ground, taking chunks of asphalt with it.

The water supply to the visitor center was shut down, which meant the bathrooms were not operable, nor was the water-chilled air conditioning in the theaters.

Operations were suspended until the water supply could be rerouted via a fire hydrant.

This worked for an hour until there was a second underground break, in the rear of the visitor center. At this point, operations and tours were canceled.

The visitor center is built on dredging spoils, and the land is considered unsteady.

The center is currently undergoing repairs created by uneven settling of the structure.

Repairs to the water main were under way last night. Park ranger Daniel Martinez said the damage to the U-turn was extensive.

"I doubt it will operable for a while," he said.

People interested in going to the center should call 422-2771 for information.