The Maui News

Maui County reopened its rural roadway at Alelele Point for local traffic at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, the county Department of Public Works announced.

Limited access for residents will continue from 5:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily; construction will prevent passage during other daytime hours, the county said.

Work to restore the road, put in catchment fencing and reinstall Hawaiian Telcom infrastructure will continue on the $1.5 million emergency slope stabilization project. Anticipated completion is July 19.

Less than a mile of the narrow, remote roadway that connects Kipahulu and Kaupo closed May 10 after a rockfall blocked the road and damaged a car and an engineering expert deemed the area unsafe.

County contractor Prometheus Construction Inc. started emergency slope scaling and rock debris removal on June 11.

Crews removed about 2,300 tons of material — 800 tons more than initial projections, according to the county. During daily work, crew members rappelled to remove loose boulders and other material along the slope, which extends nearly 300 feet high. Some boulders were up to 10 feet in diameter and weighed up to 22 tons.

“We appreciate the patience of impacted residents and thank our contractor for their commitment to work seven days a week to make good progress on the project,” Department of Public Works Director Jordan Molina said in a news release Tuesday.

For updates on the project, visit Maui County’s Alelele Point page at mauicounty.gov/2524/Alelele-Point-Rock-Scaling-Project-Updat or the county’s Facebook and Instagram.