Puhi Subdivision Roads to Close for Six-Week Resurfacing Project

Nine streets inside Puhi subdivision closed for weekday resurfacing work starting December 22, 2025, with the cul-de-sacs among them shut entirely while flaggers and detour signs redirected morning traffic through one of Līhuʻe's most densely residential pockets.

The Kauai County Department of Public Works and Maui Kupono Builders, a Kahului-based contractor founded in 2007 with an established record of county road work across Hawaii, carried out the project through January 30, 2026. Work ran Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weather permitting. The nine affected streets were Hanalima Street, Uhu Place, Kole Place, Ono Street, Kaku Street, Oama Place, Mano Street, Oio Street, and Ehu Place.

The distinction between closure types mattered most for daily routines. The smaller cul-de-sacs faced full road closures, while larger roads were reduced to single lanes. Flaggers were stationed at active work zones to direct drivers. Parking was not allowed in the work zone for the duration of the project, though residents retained access to their properties throughout.

For households navigating school drop-offs or early commutes into Līhuʻe's commercial district, the 8 a.m. work start set the daily pressure point. Puhi, developed largely in the 1980s and early 2000s and characterized by ranch-style homes sharing cul-de-sac streets, connects to the wider Kauaʻi road network via Kaumualiʻi Highway. The neighborhood's median home sale price reached approximately $807,500 in the 12 months prior to the project, up 34% year-over-year, underscoring the demand for its aging infrastructure to keep pace.

The subdivision resurfacing fit into a broader infrastructure wave in the Puhi corridor. The separate Pūhi Road Rehabilitation Project Phase II, launched at a groundbreaking in February 2024, covered the stretch from Kaneka Street to Haleukana Street and added new bike lanes, sidewalks, a shared-use path along the road's east side, and drainage improvements. Phase I, running from Kaumualiʻi Highway to Kaneka Street, was completed in 2018. Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, speaking at the Phase II groundbreaking, described the administration's priority as "fixing roads, creating jobs, and building homes."

A full closure of Pūhi Road between Haleukana Street and Hanalima Street remained active as of August 2025 with a January 2026 completion target, meaning the subdivision resurfacing and the larger Pūhi Road project converged during the project's final weeks.

Residents with questions about the subdivision work can contact county project representative Joel Bautista at 808-241-4153 or jbautista@kauai.gov.