The Kula Forest Reserve and Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area reopened Friday following the completion of a two-month-long road repair and safety improvements project, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The work involved Waipoli access road and Kahikinui Forest Reserve-Papa’anui Tract.

Sonny Vick’s Paving was contracted to install 3,000 feet of paved swale along designated road sections that had the most issues and damage caused by runoff during heavy rain events. This will help minimize debris and sediment displacement along the shoulders of the Waipoli access road by sending runoff into natural drainage areas, the department said.

Vares Contracting was hired to install a drainage culvert across a section of the unpaved Waipoli access road to prevent it from being washed out during heavy rain. The culvert will channel runoff across the road and prevent it from being shut down for repairs, which also would close the forest reserve, DLNR said.

State forestry staff also conducted fuel reduction (cutting and chipping vegetation along the sides of the road) work and improved a few existing firebreaks within the forest reserve, DLNR said.