Roadwork to tie up Makawao traffic roadways
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui Bureau
MAKAWAO, Maui — Visitors to Haleakala National Park this summer should prepare for traffic delays and the possibility that some facilities will be closed during major road construction.
The $1.5 million-project will reduce the Haleakala summit road to one lane on weekdays, cut down on parking throughout the summit area and cause changes to visitor center hours and program schedules for about three months starting May 7.
During the project, large buses won't be allowed to enter the park, and bicycle tour launches will be prohibited from launching above the Halemau'u parking lot at the 8,000-foot level.
There will be restrictions on smaller tour buses as well, said park spokeswoman Jennifer Spaulding. Each tour company will be restricted to two vehicles an hour from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and to two vehicles between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Dave Slape, general manager of Polynesian Adventure Tours, said motor coach tours serving meetings, incentive groups, cruise ship passengers and other tourist groups may have to be cancelled unless other arrangements are made.
"You might say our buses will be parked rather than going to the park,'' Slape said.
While income will be lost, he said, road resurfacing is a necessary evil for the long-term maintenance of the road.
"You gotta do what you gotta do,'' he said.
The project will span eight miles and consist of two parts: chip sealing of the road between Halemau'u (8,000 feet) and Kalahaku (9,000 feet) and road resurfacing from Kalahaku to the 10,023-foot summit.
Spaulding said the project is being planned for completion in sections. One section — the summit Spur Road, the summit parking lot and the summit building — will be closed for a period of about three weeks.
Another section, at the nearby Haleakala Visitor Center and its parking lot, will be closed for three weeks.
The good news is that these areas will not be closed at the same time. However, parking will be very limited, Spaulding said.
The Kalahaku Overlook will be used as a staging area for contractor Grace Pacific Corp. and will be closed to the public throughout the project.
Overnight parking for back country campers will be available at Halemau'u and Hosmer Grove. No overnight parking will be allowed in the summit area.
Improvements to the Summit Spur Road and the summit parking lots will include resurfacing, resloping and installing new curbs.
These improvements will be designed to direct a third more rainfall into the water containment system serving the restroom facilities at the Haleakala Visitor Center.
Dates for construction phases and visitor services information will be available by May 4. Information about the project will be available by calling the park's 24-hour information number at (808) 572-4400. Information also will be posted on the park Web site at www.nps.gov/hale.
