Work on new Paihi Bridge under way
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The temporary bridge installed in late 2006 will remain in place until the new Paihi Bridge is completed, but equipment involved in replacing the old bridge may need to cut off traffic intermittently, project Manager Mike Scully said.
Built in 1911, the bridge was on a list for replacement when it was damaged in the Oct. 15, 2006, earthquakes centered in the Alenuihaha Channel just off the Big Island. The replacement plans retain the historic appearance, including the narrow 13.8-foot width that will accommodate only one vehicle at a time.
Scully said the contractors will need to rebuild the base of the old bridge, even before they take down the remains of the 97-year-old span.
The heavy equipment needed to work on the bridge needs to be taken across the bridge first because the approach on the temporary bridge is too tight.
“We’re going to have to shore up the old bridge before we can take the equipment across,” Scully said.
Taking down the old concrete bridge and rebuilding the span should take just a few months, with Global expecting to have the work on the $2.6 million project completed by September.
While the temporary steel bridge will remain open, he said the trucks moving in and out of the remote construction site may cause intermittent closures. When the new Paihi Bridge is completed, the contractors also will have to remove the temporary bridge, which was installed after engineers said the old bridge was unsafe.
That will require closing the roadway for several days, he said. He said the work crew will be meeting with police, fire and other emergency response workers to plan for the shutdown.
On the opposite side of Kipahulu, county officials said work is proceeding on schedule on restoring the cliff faces at Alelele over the Piilani Highway. The steep cliffs were destabilized by the 2006 earthquakes, creating a severe rockfall hazard on the narrow roadway running along the coastline.
Janod Contractors is working on the rockfall mitigation project, scaling the cliff face to remove unstable rocks and installing protective barriers along the face. The $1.9 million project is scheduled for completion by October.
While the work is under way, the road section between Alelele and Kalepa is closed.
In a related announcement, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye announced this week that the state Department of Transportation will receive a $1.1 million grant, representing 75 percent of the cost of a project to repair three other sections of the Piilani Highway damaged by the earthquakes.
