Kailua sites prone to rockfalls
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAILUA — The first results from an O'ahu rockfall study list 10 Kailua sites under the highest category of potential for rockfalls on the roadway and suggests mitigation measures totaling $89.3 million.
The sites include slopes outside the Pali Tunnel on the Kailua side; at the entrance to Kailua, just before Olomana subdivision in the Kailua-bound lane; across the street from Old Kalaniana'ole Road; and the Honolulu-bound turning lane to Kane'ohe at Castle Junction.
The 10 sites were all classified at the highest "A" rating, in which the chance of rockfall is moderate to high, and when a fall occurs, it would reach the road.
The locations are not a surprise to Kailua residents who have seen dirt, rocks and foliage cascade to the road for decades, said Faith Evans, Kailua Neighborhood Board chairwoman. But Evans said she was surprised that the 10 sites rated so high.
"It's really an eye opener," Evans said.
The study was initiated by the state Department of Transportation after a March 2000 rockslide in Waimea that closed Kamehameha Highway for three months while the state realigned the road and erected a rockslide fence for $7.5 million. The study is not finalized, but portions of it have been released to area officials.
The study is expected to be completed by the end of April, and the state will initiate a statewide rockfall study next year, said Glenn Yasui, DOT highway division administrator.
The sites are scored based on 11 factors.
"(The study) is an attempt by the state to identify areas that could potentially be a problem," Yasui said. "After the study we'll have to look at what needs to be done, costs and priorities."
A Class B rating indicates that a rockfall is probable, but the chances of it reaching the roadway are low to moderate, the study said. A Class C rating indicates a low chance of rockfall and if there is one, the rocks would not reach the road.
Potential solutions for the Kailua sites included such things as cutting the slopes, beginning at $1.4 million; building concrete walls, beginning around $2 million; and constructing a canopy over the road for $50 million, according to the study.
The study, including the mitigation alternatives and accompanying costs, is a tool to help move the projects to the next stage of planning, the DOT said. The real cost of a project won't be known until a design has been completed and will include other factors such as environmental studies.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at 234-5266 or eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.
