Flooding damages Hauaala bridge crossing

Kauai County has closed the Hauaala ford crossing, also known as the Hauaala bridge, in Keapana until further notice because of damage from recent flooding.

Officials said the floods have undermined the bridge, making it unsafe.

Concrete barriers have been placed at the crossing to block passage for motorists and pedestrians, who are being asked to find other routes.

Public input sought on future of historic park

The National Park Service will provide Oahu residents another opportunity to provide ideas and comments about the future of Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

A Dec. 10 public meeting will be held on the federal agency's General Management Plan for the Molokai peninsula where people stricken with leprosy were isolated from 1866 to 1969. The hearing will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bishop Museum Atherton Halau, 1525 Bernice St. The meeting follows several months of plan preparation after a round of public hearings on five islands in April.

The National Park Service has spent more than $23 million on resurfacing roads, restoration of buildings, installation of a new water system, upgrade of the electrical grid and other projects since 1980.

Kalaupapa is home to 20 former leprosy patients, in addition to about 80 federal and state workers. Limited accessibility to the remote area limits the number of visitors.

Information on the general plan may be found online at parkplanning.nps.gov/kala.

Meeting to address transit development

The city will hold a workshop Tuesday night about transit development in Aiea and Pearl City.

The workshop will include a presentation of draft alternatives based on community ideas for the planned Leeward Community College, Pearl Highlands and Pearlridge stations.

The alternatives will explore strategies for transit-oriented development and neighborhood improvements, including open space, pedestrian connections and land uses.

The meeting will be held at Pearl Ridge Elementary School from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Contact Dennis Silva Jr., planner at the Department of Planning and Permitting, at 768-8284 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Artificial reef off Maui to be supplemented

KAHULUI » The state plans to add about 1,500 concrete structures to the artificial reef off South Maui's Keawakapu Beach.

This is the first time the state has added modules to Keawakapu Artificial Reef since 1990.

The 52-acre reef, which was created in 1962, has 150 cars, 2,250 tire modules, 35 concrete slabs and one vessel. Site work begins tomorrow morning. The state is asking the public to stay at least 300 yards away from the site while work continues.

State officials say studies have shown that artificial reefs provide habitat for fish and for coral polyps that form natural coral reefs.

The state has three other shallow artificial reefs, all off Oahu. There's a deep-water artificial reef off Ewa Beach.