Kamehameha Highway near Kahana to remain closed as Board of Water Supply crews repair water main
COURTESY HONOLULU BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY
Honolulu Board of Water Supply crews are repairing the 30-inch water main near Kahana Bay Beach Park.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Road closure signs were seen Monday on Kamehameha Highway just before Trout Farm Road in Kahana. The Board of Water Supply continues to work on a water main break that caused the highway’s closure in both directions at Kahana Bay.
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply said Monday that it aims to reopen at least one lane of Kamehameha Highway near Kahana Bay Beach Park for contra-flow traffic by the end of the week as crews continue to repair a 30-inch water main break that undermined the road.
For now the highway is closed to motorized traffic in both directions.
In the meantime the board is urging residents to conserve water from Kahana to Waimanalo, as the system lost about 60% of the water supply with the disruption.
There may be potential low pressure and no water impacts in upper-elevation communities from Kailua to Waimanalo — with the first area affected being the lower Maunawili Valley area from Auloa Road to the end of Lunaai Street, followed by the neighborhood from Maunawili Neighborhood Park along Ulupii Street down to Uluoa Street.
“The impacts could be rolling to other areas after that,” said Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui, Board of Water Supply spokesperson.
“We are working to make adjustments to the system and hope this will address some of the low-pressure areas, but we are urgently requesting conservation and to only use water for cooking and personal hygiene,” the board said in an alert. “Please do not use water for any lawn or garden irrigation, car washing, or other outdoor use such as filling swimming pools or water slides.”
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The conservation measures, Elliott-Pahinui said, will help to maintain water levels in the reservoirs serving those areas.
The main break was initially reported at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, resulting in the closure of Kamehameha Highway in both directions between Kahana Valley and Trout Farm roads.
BWS said water services have been restored to families on Trout Farm Road and along Kamehameha Highway by setting up a water bypass.
Contrary to some reports, the Kahana Bay traffic bridge remains stable and safe and requires no work. The road on the Kahuku side of the bridge, however, was undermined when the main broke and needs to be shored up in order to allow for the contra-flow lane.
Until that time TheBus will operate two shuttles at the road closure site connecting passengers to regular Route 60 services currently turning around near Keneke’s at Punaluu to Haleiwa and the Kaaawa Fire Station to Kaneohe and Honolulu. The shuttles will operate during regular operation hours on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays until further notice.
Officials said a BWS employee will escort pedestrians across the bridge as long as it is safe. There may be instances, however, where pedestrians will have to wait while vehicles are being moved or other work is being finished, to ensure their safety.
Work on both the road and main break is expected to take several weeks, with water tentatively set to be restored by Sunday.
Updates will be posted on boardofwatersupply.com and BWS social media platforms.
