Sinkhole investigation closes lane on Kaumualii Highway near Lawai
A sinkhole investigation narrowed Kaumualii Highway to one lane near Lawai before HDOT reopened both lanes later that afternoon. Drivers were told to use caution at milepost 10.
Hawaii Department of Transportation first reported a single-lane closure on Kaumualii Highway in Lawai near milepost 10, with alternating traffic allowed through the open lane while crews looked into a sinkhole.
The alert created an immediate squeeze on one of Kauai’s main east-west routes, forcing drivers through turn-taking traffic control until conditions changed. HDOT said motorists should use caution in the area while the investigation was underway.
By 4:10 p.m., HDOT posted an update saying two lanes were open again on Kaumualii Highway in Lawai. The change signaled that the traffic pattern had been adjusted as the situation developed, easing the bottleneck that had been in place around milepost 10.
HDOT pushed both notices under Kauai #hitraffic, the island-specific alert tag the department uses for road closures and traffic changes. The updates gave drivers a clear turn-by-turn picture of the disruption: first a one-lane restriction with alternating traffic, then a return to two open lanes on the same stretch of highway.
Kaumualii Highway, which threads through Lawai and serves daily commuter traffic across the south and west side of the island, is a key route for residents moving between work, school and home. For drivers passing through the area, the key detail was simple: slow down near milepost 10, expect traffic control when conditions shift, and watch the HDOT Kauai traffic alerts for the latest lane status on the highway.
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