Posted on: Monday, July 23, 2001
Hairpin turn on Pali site of several crashes
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward Bureau
A stretch of road at the hairpin turn on the Kailua side of the Pali Highway has been the site of 11 automobiles accidents since the beginning of the month, three of which occurred Saturday evening, and police said yesterday that the mossy condition makes the road surface like ice.
The road at the hairpin turn is frequently wet, even when it's not raining. The condition allows moss to grow on the highway, covering the right lane and half of the left, and when it rains it's very slippery, said Police Officer Larry Santos, who has investigated many of the accidents there this month.
The dangerous surface is on the Kailua-bound lanes past the tunnel and just before the scenic overlook, Santos said.
The worst accident so far this month occurred on the 11th, when an 18-year-old man braked on the mossy patch causing his van to skid and flip over twice. The man, who was traveling at the speed limit of 35 miles per hour, survived, he said.
"Lucky the kid had his seat belt on or he wouldn't have made college next month," Santos said.
Accidents will continue unless the state cleans the area, Santos predicted. He expressed frustration with the state Department of Transportation's response so far.
But a DOT spokeswoman said yesterday that the department responded to the problem last week and issued a work order for its maintenance crew to take care of the problem. The water on the road is a result of a rock slide that blocks the drainage behind the concrete barrier, said Marilyn Kali DOT spokeswoman.
"The water pools on the road as opposed to draining," Kali said, adding that as soon as the problem was reported, DOT investigated and made arrangement to fix it.
Kali said a work crew should be on the scene soon. "We're aware of the problem and the area, and we're working on it," she said.
Santos cautioned drivers to slow down before getting to the turn.
"In rush hour (stop and go) traffic they have to be careful, and even more so when it's raining," he said.
