Makapuu rock Responding to concerns of Waimanalo residents, the state has decided to start its rockfall-prevention work at Makapuu cliffs as early as next week, three months ahead of schedule.
plan rushed
Residents fear placing netting over
a cliff will be only a temporary fixBy Genevieve Suzuki
gsuzuki@starbulletin.comState Department of Transportation officials said at a community meeting last night that the work could start Nov. 6 and run through 27.
It will involve closing a 900-foot stretch of Kalanianaole Highway, from Makapuu Lookout toward Makapuu Beach Park, every day for three weeks from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A final decision is expected this week.
The department hired Royal Contracting Co. Ltd. for the project after heavy rain caused a large boulder to fall onto Kalanianaole Highway on Oct. 15, closing the roadway for about 13 hours.
The DOT work, originally set to begin in February, includes scaling back loose debris on the cliffside, using controlled blasting to remove six rock outcrops, and installing a wire-mesh chain-link fence.
Reaction to the stepped-up timetable was mixed at last night's informational meeting at Waimanalo School and Public Library.
While some of the roughly 50 people who attended the meeting were glad that the state responded to their safety worries, others still had concerns about the project.
Jim Andrews complained that the state was spending $1 million on a temporary solution.
"The state has said this is a priority. Why can't we get priority action for something that is a liability to the state and the community," he asked.
Project manager Henry Kennedy said the project allows the department time to finish the planning and design for a permanent solution.
"We're doing what we can to accelerate the construction," Kennedy said.
Sea Life Park General Manager Wayne Nielsen wondered whether the public would still have access to the park. Sen. Fred Hemmings (R, Kailua, Waimanalo) asked Kennedy to make sure that the department keeps the road open so that Sea Life Park will be accessible.
"We never had any intention of closing Makapuu and Sea Life Park," Kennedy responded.
Project consultant Earl Matsukawa, meanwhile, said the department has not decided when it will begin installing the netting over the cliff.
Several residents questioned whether the netting, made of galvanized steel and coated with PVC, will protect the highway from the rocks for 10-to-12 years as Matsukawa told them.
"We need a little bit more information before we say we're gonna run with it," said Andrews, also chairman of the Bellows Restoration Project.
City lifeguard Kawika Eckart said there are signs at the beach made of galvanized steel that last less than three years because of the corroding sea air.
"Nothing is sacred against corrosion," said Eckart, a member of the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board.
State Department of Transportation