According to Maui County officials, traffic patterns for trucks carrying Lahaina wildfire debris have been adjusted in light of public concerns. Photo courtesy Maui County

In response to concerns expressed by members of the public, traffic patterns have been changed for the 50 to 70 trucks hauling Lahaina wildfire debris from West Maui to the Central Maui landfill daily, according to Maui County officials.

The debris transfer is a part of the overall recovery plan to rebuild Lahaina and transfer nonhazardous debris to the permanent disposal site.

The Lahaina wildfire debris at the temporary site in Olowalu is estimated to be 400,000 tons or about five football fields stacked five stories high.

County officials have estimated the transfer will take about five months.

To address concerns, the county says fewer trucks are traveling together at the same time through the intersection of the cane haul road and Pūlehu Road. State transportation officials have also modified traffic signals at the intersection of the cane haul road and Maui Veterans Highway.

Courtesy photo

As of Monday, some 18% of nonhazardous debris at Olowalu has been transferred to the permanent disposal site in Puʻun�”n�”, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The county said the amount of transported debris may vary based on weather and traffic conditions.

Trucks carrying nonhazardous Lahaina wildfire debris began transport operations on June 16. The trucks travel about 19 miles using private cane haul roads to reduce the impact on traffic on state and county roads.

Unauthorized vehicles are not allowed on the cane haul roads.

From the temporary site at Olowalu, trucks are traveling along Honoapiʻilani Highway from Olowalu to Māʻalaea, then turning onto Kūihelani Highway before utilizing the cane haul roads from Waikō Road to the permanent disposal site.

The routing of trucks is being done with the county working in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, USACE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HDOT and Hawaiʻi Department of Health to transfer the debris.

More information, including a map of the hauling route and the TDS-PDS Transfer & Closure Plan, is available at www.MauiRecovers.org/debristransfer. The USACE Debris Hotline is (877) 214-9117.