WAILUA — The Wailua Bridge is scheduled to undergo emergency repairs and will be closed overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Last Thursday, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) announced the designation of the Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste Memorial Bridge, or the Wailua Plantation Bridge, located on Kuhio Highway near milepost 5.73, as a ‘Traffic Emergency Zone.’
On Friday, HDOT held a public virtual meeting, where Kauai District Engineer Eric Fujikawa began by outlining the current evaluation of the bridge and explaining the decision to implement a traffic emergency zone and close the bridge.
“Every two years, our bridge inspection program performs a routine inspection across the island, and during this inspection, it was found that stringers on the Wailua Plantation Bridge steel deck were severed in multiple panels due to severe steel deck corrosion,” said Fujikawa. “It is imperative that we do something to address this as soon as we can.”
Under Hawaii Statutes 264-1.5, which pertains to ‘Emergency Powers and Traffic Emergency Zones,’ the state director of transportation possesses the authority to designate an area as a traffic emergency zone in instances where there is a significant threat to public health, safety, or lack of adequate access via a state highway, as outlined in section 264-1(a).
This determination warrants immediate action, allowing the state director to implement necessary measures without a public hearing. The state director may designate the area as a traffic emergency zone and take any action needed until access to the designated area has been established.
The implementation of a ‘traffic emergency zone’ facilitates expedited procurement processes and exempts specific permitting requirements.
Fujikawa added that this course of action entails a “complete overnight closure, which will enable construction crews to replace the parallel beams that support the deck.” This will involve installing steel plates over the severely impacted areas as a temporary solution until the necessary panel replacements are completed.
HDOT also indicated that the deck panels are currently in transit and are projected to arrive within four weeks. Upon the arrival of the panels, construction for the deck replacement will commence, with an estimated completion time of two weeks.
Until then, during the overnight hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, traffic will be rerouted to the mauka side of the Wailua Bridge. One lane will accommodate the northbound traffic, while the opposite lane will facilitate southbound movement.
For a full schedule of HDOT’s road closures or further information regarding road work on Kauai, please visit the department’s website at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork.
Source: The Garden Island
Be First to Comment