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New road opened ahead of lava flow

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  • TIM WRIGHT / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
    Hawaii County Public Works vehicles were the first to traverse the alternate Railroad Avenue route for lower Puna. The 5.3-mile unpaved road, which runs from Nanawale Estates to Hawaii Paradise Park, was blessed Saturday.

PAHOA » Hawaii County Civil Defense officials opened Railroad Avenue at noon Saturday to provide an alternate emergency-access route in and out of Pahoa as the Kilauea lava flow continues to advance toward the area’s main highway.

County and public works officials held a blessing ceremony in the morning at the Nanawale entrance of the 5.3-mile roadway that was completed in September.

Barbara Mitts of Puna and her neighbor Ron Pearson arrived about 30 minutes before the road was scheduled to open. The two waited anxiously for their turn to spin their wheels on the new thoroughfare.

While drivers such as Mitts and Pearson will have plenty of time to adjust to the new route before lava makes its way downslope, Pearson said he still has some concerns.

"I’m really concerned that traffic will get clogged up," Pearson said. "It’s a two-lane gravel road and if everyone’s on it, it might be congested."

Mitts said she thinks the new road will extend area drivers’ commutes by 15 to 20 minutes.

"But I think it’ll take longer than that," Pearson countered.

Earlier Saturday, Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said that depending on the amount of traffic and driving conditions, the roadway could add 20 to 30 minutes to a daily drive in and out of that area.

The speed limit is 20 mph and drivers are encouraged to drive carefully.

"Drive with aloha; be courteous of one another," Oliveira advised.

Railroad Avenue is one of three alternative access routes planned in the event lava crosses Highway 130. Other emergency routes that have been prepared include the one-lane coastal Old Government/Beach Road and Chain of Craters, which was previously overrun by lava.

That road should be ready to open by January, said Oliveira.

Meanwhile, the lava flow front remains active and is continuing to advance in an east-northeast direction, Civil Defense said after an aerial assessment Saturday morning.

The lava had advanced about 160 yards since 6:30 a.m. Friday and is about 0.7 miles upslope from Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road. The flow front is about 875 yards from the Pahoa Marketplace, where fewer than 10 businesses remain open.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said Saturday that the front of the lava flow started spreading out in relatively flat terrain on Wednesday and Thursday, narrowing the tip of the north branch, or flow front, to about 10 yards.

The descent path of the branch, if it continues to be followed, will take the flow to the Pahoa Marketplace, volcano scientists said.

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