Kauai Highways Face 16 Lane Closures During Week of March 21

Sixteen lane closures and road work projects spread across Kaua'i state highways during the week of March 21–27, hitting routes from the Waimea Canyon foothills to the Kapā'a corridor, according to the Hawai'i Department of Transportation's weekly bulletin posted March 20.

The most disruptive single closure was on Kūhiō Highway (Route 56), where crews shut the southbound Wailua Mauka Bridge completely each night from March 23 through March 27, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., for concrete work. During those overnight windows, traffic was rerouted to the Wailua Plantation Bridge, affecting drivers moving between Wailua Marina Road and Kuamoo Road at mileposts 5.7 to 5.9. The bridge work has been ongoing since earlier in the year as part of a sustained maintenance effort on that span.

Also on Route 56 in Līhu'e, a southbound single lane closure ran between mileposts 3 and 4, near Kauai Beach Drive and Kauai Beach Road, on Monday March 23, Wednesday March 25, and Friday March 27 from 1 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. for grass cutting.

On the Kapā'a Bypass Road (Route 5600), paving work triggered a complete closure between mileposts 0.8 and 3, in the vicinity of Kūhiō Highway and Olohena Road, nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through March 26. Drivers in the Wailuā-to-Kapā'a stretch had no bypass access during those overnight hours for much of the week.

Waimea Canyon Drive (Route 550) carried two separate daytime closures near Kōke'e. Between mileposts 0.1 and 3.2, near Huaka'i Road, a single lane closure ran from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on March 23–25 and March 27 for pavement marker and striping, with alternating traffic routed through the open lane. A second, longer stretch from mileposts 4.6 to 11.5 had a possible single lane closure in either direction from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the same days for shoulder reconstruction, also with alternating traffic.

On Kaumuali'i Highway (Route 50), crews installed rumble strips and completed striping between mileposts 2.9 and 8.5, in the area of Kīpū Road and Maha Road, with a possible single lane closure in either direction from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on the nights of March 22 through March 25.

The full 16-closure list also touched Highway 50 segments from Kalāheo to 'Ele'ele and from Kaumakani to Waimea; Highway 51 in Līhu'e; additional Route 56/560 segments from Keālia to Anahola, Kīlauea, and Kalihiwai to Princeville; Highway 58 at Pua Loke; and Highway 540 between Kalāheo and 'Ele'ele.

In observance of Prince Kūhiō Day on March 26, there were no contraflow or lane closures unless otherwise permitted. All projects remained subject to weather conditions, and lane closure schedules could change at any time without further notice. A map of the closures is available through HDOT's roadwork page at hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork.