Questions arise over new Makapuu wall

A project to reinforce a road draws safety and traffic concerns

As the state builds a sea wall to prevent a section of Kalanianaole Highway on the Windward side from falling into the sea, residents and some state officials are wondering whether the barrier is the best solution.

"Seawalls will ... fix the problem for the immediate property, but what they typically do is have an impact on neighboring areas," said state Board of Land and Natural Resources Chairman Peter Young, who thinks the wall might create more problems than it solves.

The state Department of Transportation is currently installing concrete pillars along a 200-foot section of Kalanianaole Highway between Sea Life Park and the Oceanic Institute. This is the second time the Transportation Department has attempted to stop erosion along this area, where the foot of the Koolaus meets the ocean.

Last year, the Transportation Department pushed the road about 15 feet toward the mountain, but the lapping waters have continued to erode land right up to the highway.

Transportation officials said they cannot push the road farther up the hillside because the highway abuts private property.

"The whole reason for the pillars is to provide a foundation for the remainder of the highway," transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said. "This is just as an assurance in case of future eroding."

The wall is expected to be completed in the next two weeks. In the meantime, the Transportation Department has closed the Waimanalo-bound lane of the highway and set up a contra-flow lane in the Honolulu direction 24 hours a day.

Coastal erosion has been a common problem at various parts of the island, even causing trees to fall in the ocean, Young said. It is now creating problems for roads too close to the water.

That is why the state is working on a study to address the impact of erosion more efficiently, Young said.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are studying the southeastern Oahu coastlines, trying to determine sediment movement, wind and wave patterns causing erosion, Young said.

Even though the road work is critical, some residents are still frustrated because of longer commutes and reduced parking.

"When you're in a rush to get somewhere, the traffic can be pretty frustrating," said Hawaii Kai resident Jay Haus, who uses Kalanianaole Highway to get to his Kaneohe job. "They should open the other road when they're not working."

But an all-day lane closure is necessary, Ishikawa said, because the Transportation Department needs storage space in the narrow corridor for a crane that is driving the 20-foot pillars into the ground. The crane, along with materials and other equipment, is not easy to move, he said.

The Transportation Department also has restricted parking along the road since heavier vehicles accelerate erosion, Ishikawa said. The decision has upset some residents, many of whom use the popular beaches along the highway.

"We usually park over there and slide our boards down the side," said Craig Deloy, of Waimanalo. "Now, we got to walk pretty far with the boards and the coolers and everything else."

Ishikawa understands their frustration but the work is critical, he said.

"They just have to understand the bigger inconvenience of losing a road. It's easier to save a road rather than having to build a new one," he said.