Waimea bridge replacement, roundabout project moves forward with $21.7 million contract

The long-planned overhaul of Waimea’s Waiaka Stream Bridge advanced with a more than $21.7 million contract to Maui contractor Alpha Inc., putting a 94-year-old crossing and a congested T-intersection on track for replacement at one of North and South Kohala’s most important road junctions.

The project centers on the intersection of Kawaihae Road and Kohala Mountain Road, where the existing bridge, built in 1932 at milepost 58.88, has carried daily traffic for decades. The state Department of Transportation says the bridge is inspected every two years and is still structurally sound, but its National Bridge Inventory score of 26 out of 100 makes it eligible for replacement. The current span is a curved concrete structure about 26 feet wide, with a bolted-on three-foot wooden walkway.

The new bridge is planned at about 53 feet wide and 80 feet long, with two travel lanes, a shoulder or bike lane and a raised sidewalk. A roundabout about 130 feet in diameter will replace the existing stop-and-go intersection, improving sightlines and changing the crash pattern from broadside collisions to angled impacts. State transportation officials say the work is aimed at better safety, smoother operations and stronger system connectivity between the western shipping port area and the rest of Hawaiʻi Island, including traffic headed to Kawaihae Harbor, agricultural freight and everyday local travel through Waimea.

Flood control is another major piece of the project. The new bridge is designed to handle a 100-year flood, after years of concern that Keanuiomano Stream can overtop the existing bridge during major storms. The center pier on the old structure can also trap debris, including tree branches, adding to the drainage problems that have pushed the replacement forward.

The planning process has stretched for years. A draft environmental assessment was submitted in March 2022, and a final finding of no significant impact was published in July 2022. Earlier estimates put the project at about $15 million, but bids later rose to more than $21.7 million. State officials had previously said construction could start in June 2026 and wrap up by June 2028, though a start date has not yet been set.

The bridge work is part of a broader Waimea traffic-safety push. A separate Waimea Roadway Improvements project, which includes a roundabout at Kawaihae Road and Lindsey Road, received its own environmental clearance in 2024, and truckers tested a mock roundabout at Waimea-Kohala Airport in 2025. Together, the projects point to a wider effort to untangle one of the island’s busiest upcountry travel corridors before traffic volumes and freight demand grow any further.