The rockslide, which was triggered by two hours of heavy rain on the evening of Sept. 26, closed Kamehameha Highway near the Kipapa Gulch bridge. No one was hurt by the rockslide, but a motorist driving along the highway ran into debris on the road.

Kevin Gooding, assistant state geologist, said today that he does not see a huge problem with the current protective system but noted in his report to state transportation officials that the road cut above the highway "is very weathered" and "debris, varying from boulders to soil, will fall from the slope in the future."

"The slope is very unstable," Gooding said today. "Rocks are falling off it all the time. Rocks will keep coming down especially if it rains again. The netting worked pretty well."

The protective system uses several sections of a chainlink fencing draped over the hillside and secured at the bottom to a retaining fence. Sections of the draped fencing overlap each other from top to bottom.

Some of the debris came through a seam where two sections of the draped fencing overlap, and some debris came through the retaining fence at the bottom of the slope.

Gooding told state transportation officials they need to verify that the seams of the draped fence are wired together.

He also urged them to reinforce the retaining fence with steel cable to prevent debris from coming through. Several boulders of up to 2 feet in diameter landed on portions of the retaining fence, he said.

Gooding also said the draped fencing needs to be held "more snugly" against the slope. In some places there is a gap of nearly 6 feet, which will not keep debris from falling.

"If it is close, it keeps the rocks against the slope," Gooding said. "It won't prevent everything. But when it does get loose, it doesn't give the rocks much time to gain velocity."

Transportation officials were unavailable for comment by deadline today.