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Big Isle highway repairs wrap up after Kilauea Volcano eruption and Hurricane Lane

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COURTESY USGS

A short-lived plume of ash drifted southwest from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō in May 2018. State transportation officials say repairs to Hawaii island highways following damage caused by the Kilauea eruption as well as Hurricane Lane last year, are now complete.

State transportation officials say repairs to Hawaii island highways following damage caused by the Kilauea eruption as well as Hurricane Lane last year, are now complete.

The state Highways Division conducted extensive emergency repairs at Mamalahoa Highway (Highway 11) caused by daily earthquakes between mile markers 28 and 32 during a five-month span between May and September last year in Volcano.

The state used Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to determine the nature and extent of damage to the highway at specific locations. Lane closures were required 24/7 so crews could reconstruct the roadbed from depths of up to 10 feet.

In February, state officials said a follow-up GPR survey was performed and confirmed all subsurface voids and cracks of concern under Mamalahoa Highway have been properly repaired.

As a result of Hurricane Lane in August of last year, the state highway system sustained landslides and significant stormwater damage from a record 50 inches of rain.

The newly constructed Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Highway 200) between mile markers 8 and 11 and Mamalahoa Highway in the vicinity of Kurtistown and Mountain View experienced severe road and drainage system damage due to the sheer volume of runoff within such a short time period.

All drainage systems have since been repaired.

Hurricane Lane also caused numerous landslides and embankment failures along Hawaii Belt Road (Highway 19) that threatened several residential structures at mile markers 3.2, 3.6, 6.6, 7.1 and 15.6. Those earthen slopes have been restored and hardened with masonry.

The most severe landslide at mile marker 7.1 required the construction of a mechanically-stabilized wall.

On Hawaii Belt Road, exposed boulders and an exposed cliff at mile marker 11 were also stabilized using a system of 30-foot long soil nails and shotcrete material, officials said. The foundation at Kapue Bridge on Hawaii Belt near mile marker 6.53, which was eroded by high water flows, was also stabilized with masonry.

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