PAHOA, Hawaii >> 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.

Puna residents Barbara Mitts and her neighbor Ron Pearson arrived at the beginning of the newly constructed Railroad Avenue in Nanawale Estates Saturday morning. The two were about 30 minutes early to the road’s opening and were waiting to spin their wheels on the new roadway.

While drivers 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 15-20 minutes. 

“But I think it’ll take longer than that,” Pearson said. 

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

“It’s definitely going to add to people’s commute,” he said. 

The speed limit is 20 mph and drivers are encouraged to use the road with caution. 

“Drive with aloha, be courtesy of one another,” Oliveira said. 

Railroad Avenue is one of three alternative access routes planned in the event lava crosses the area’s main highway. County and state road crews completed work on the two-lane emergency access route in September.

Other emergency routes that have been prepared are the one-lane coastal Old Government/Beach Road and Chain of Craters, which should be available for use in January, said Oliveira. 

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

The lava advanced approximately 160 yards since 6:30 a.m. Friday and is about 0.7 miles upslope from Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road.

Lava is about 875 yards from the Pahoa Marketplace, where numerous businesses closed their doors earlier this week. On Saturday, Longs Drugs, located across from the marketplace, temporarily shut down in anticipation for the flow. 

Now fewer than 10 businesses remain open in the shopping district, Oliveira said. The lava could reach the marketplace in a week, depending on the advancement rate. 

Currently, smoke in the Puna District was moderate to heavy, with light tradewinds blowing the smoke in a south-southeast direction, officials said.