A circle island drive on Oahu came to a stop today, when land slides closed Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore at Waimea.
Rockslides in the year 2000 resulted in rebuilding the original stretch of Kamehameha Highway on Oahu’s pictures North Shore. It made circle island trips impossible until authorities built a temporary road on top of the sandy beaches of famous Waimea Bay.
23 years later, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) announced an emergency closure of the same rebuilt road due to dangerous rock slides.
Thousands of visitors every day make the around-the-island trip in rental cars, on tour busses, or on the public bus system. This was interrupted today when cars had to turn around before getting to Waimea Bay or before getting to Sharks Cove on the other side of this North Shore beach stretch.
Kam Highway closed at 7.23 am Sunday morning and remains closed as of 12 p.m.
The initial assessment is that rock scaling needs to be done to remove loose material from the slope. The rocks that came down this morning will be removed, and impact barriers will be installed to provide protection for this section.
Debris removal and rock scaling are expected to continue throughout the daylight hours.
During the work, pedestrian, and bicycle access will be paused for safety. Currently, bicyclists and pedestrians are being allowed through the closure area but should not stop near the slope.
TheBus is operating with delays to and from the Waimea Bay area. Per the City and County of Honolulu, regular Route 60 service to and from Honolulu via Kaneohe is turning around at Shark’s Cove. Passengers must walk to transfer to and from the Route 60 shuttle operating from Waimea Bay to continue trips to and from Haleiwa.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area.
