‘Iao Valley State Monument, one of the top tourist attractions on Maui, will reopen today after repairs made necessary by massive flooding in September.
While more work needs to be done, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources will open the park at 7 a.m. as it awaits permits to complete the project. Construction will resume sometime in the fall, the department said by email Friday.
Flash flooding in Iao Valley caused millions of dollars in damage to pedestrian bridges and railings and caused severe erosion to the streambed.
Vares Contracting began work in February to remove green waste, concrete debris and railings. Another contractor, Maui Kupono Builders LLC, did interim slope stabilization in the stream, also known as the Wailuku River.
Visitors will see major changes to the slopes of the river, which is now wider. A revetment of stacked rocks and 300 to 400 feet worth of concretelike coating is in place to prevent loose material from falling.
Changes to the parking lot include re-striping and installation of flexible traffic delineators, as well as installation of a green security guardrail to keep buses in the upper parking area, and warning signs to prevent people from getting close to the stream’s edge. That work was done by Vares.
A pedestrian corridor has been marking with stripes, and surface repairs were made to the pathways that lead to the Hawaiian Garden and to the summit lookout. The Hawaiian Garden is open, with new security fencing installed to keep people away from a section of its walkway that collapsed beyond repair due to the flood.
Maui Kupono Builders also repaired the pedestrian bridge over Kinihapai Stream, which received a new support structure.
For the next week, Polynesian Adventure Tours is not scheduling its bus tours so that the community can visit without the bus traffic, the department said.
Still closed is the lower streamside loop trail area in the Hawaiian Garden. It was cleaned up but will remain fenced off, the state said.
The second phase of work will bring total project costs to more than $1.8 million.
