Residents question plans for Lahaina Bypass extension project
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Residents are weighing in on the proposed extension of the Lahaina Bypass in West Maui, with mixed support for the project.
The Lahaina Bypass extension project seeks to extend the existing bypass north from Keawe Street to create a continuous highway around Lahaina and Kaanapali. However, several residents have criticized the potential location of a connector route linking the bypass to Pu'ukoli'i Road, and a petition opposing a middle route that might connect to Hanakao'o Beach Park, also known as Canoe Beach, is being circulated.
Criticism also arose about the county spending $100 million for the extension, as residents said the money would be better spent on a new hospital or the ongoing rebuilding effort in Lahaina.
More than 100 people attended an in-person meeting at the Lahainaluna High School cafeteria on July 8. A second virtual meeting was held July 15.
The proposed bypass extension is designed to provide transportation safety, emergency access, and wildfire and tsunami evacuation. The extension would run 4.5 miles between Keawe Street and the Pu'ukoli'i area.
State Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said the specific route for the Lahaina Bypass extension has not been decided and encouraged residents to submit comments to the state Department of Transportation. Sniffen spoke during a public meeting July 8 in Lahaina. A virtual meeting was held July 15. Gary Kubota/The Maui News
Routes up for discussion
On July 8, Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said the specific route, including connector roads to Honoapiilani Highway, hasn't yet been decided.
"This is just the start of the conversation," Sniffen said before the meeting.
Sniffen said the Lahaina Bypass project already has an environmental impact statement developed in the 1990s, and the department is conducting environmental assessments as different parts of the bypass are scheduled to be developed.
Sniffen said the state is moving forward with the Keawe Street-Pu'ukoli'i route after Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen's administration decided to use $100 million in disaster relief toward developing the extension.
The state has put the estimated cost of the extension at $220 million to $240 million. Construction is anticipated to begin in the middle to late 2028, and the project could be completed by December 2030.
State transportation officials said routes being studied for the Keawe Street-Pu'ukoli'i extension may cross over parcels owned by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Housing and Finance and Development Corp. and the Kaanapali Land Management Corp.
In the presentation, the maps showed two potential mauka-makai evacuation routes connecting the bypass with Honoapiilani Highway, including a middle connector south of the Kaanapali Golf Courses and the other north of the Pu'ukoli'i area.
Residents express concerns
In discussions, several residents said they support a nearby northern route on Kaka'alaneo Drive, about 1.4 miles from Pu'ukoli'i Road, while expressing concerns about using the old plantation road near Pu'ukoli'i Road.
Robin Ritchie, who lives on Pu'ukoli'i, said the road has six curves, three mirrors to help drivers through blind entrances and crisscrossing power lines.
"They go from here to there because of the street curves," Ritchie said. "They are rotten and outdated."
Sniffen said the Pu'ukoli'i Road option was presented as an alternative because the federal government was paying for 80% of the project and required state transportation officials to list various route options.
He assured residents that as long as he's transportation director, he plans to develop the Kaka'alaneo Drive alternative.
State highway officials also discussed the development of a new road that would serve as a middle connector south of the Kaanapali Golf Courses.
Joanne Strickland, who lives in Lanikeha in Kaanapali, said she supports the Lahaina Bypass because it will reduce traffic congestion but added that she hopes the route will be as far away as possible from her Kaanapali community.
"Our community is a very quiet, family-oriented area, and we're right above the golf course," she said.
Petition circulated
A petition organized by Lanikeha resident Nita Causey opposes a connector route that might extend from the bypass to Hanakao'o Beach Park.
Causey worries a Hanakao'o connector road would put a lot of traffic in an already congested area, especially on weekends when there are canoe races. She also has concerns it could cause a disturbance at Wahikuli Gulch, a nesting area for the Hawaiian short-eared owl.
Causey suggested that a better alternative would be to locate the connector road north of the Lahaina Fire Station where there already is a road.
"That would make more economical sense," she said.
Other issues were raised about whether to put stop lights or roundabouts at intersections on the Honoapiilani Highway, and the use of permeable pavement to allow rainwater to percolate into the ground.
Sniffen advised residents to write down their suggestions and give them to department representatives at the meeting or submit them through the email address available on the project's website at lahainabypassphase1c.org.
Funding questioned
The Hawaii Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration are leading the project with Maui County and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The project is funded through the Maui wildfire recovery federal funding, supplemented by other federal and state funds.
Causey also argued that the $100 million should go toward building a West Maui hospital to provide critical care and eliminate the 45-minute drive to Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku.
"I believe we need a hospital way before we need a highway," Causey said.
Bill Finnarty, a resident of Kaanapali, said he supports the Lahaina Bypass project, but he also raised questions about the timing, saying rebuilding Lahaina should take priority over building the bypass.
"Could those funds -- $100 million -- be better spent to revitalize the economy?" Finnarty asked.
Responding to the residents' concerns, the Bissen administration said the decision to fund the Lahaina Bypass extension was driven by community support and public safety.
The administration said that throughout the disaster recovery review process, residents consistently identified the bypass as a priority, citing the need for an additional evacuation route during future disasters.
"Safe evacuation routes and resilient transportation networks protect lives, support housing and strengthen West Maui’s long-term recovery," said Laksmi Abraham, the county's director of Communications and Government Affairs.
County officials said they realize that rebuilding Lahaina's businesses is essential, and they added that they are working with the governor's office and IRS to establish an "opportunity zone" for Lahaina to help attract private investment and accelerate the rebuilding of local businesses.