Hale'iwa bridge deemed safe
By Will Hoover
Advertiser North Shore Writer
Honolulu officials said Hale'iwa's historic Anahulu Stream Bridge, sometimes called Rainbow Bridge, is structurally sound, and there are no plans to close it before a $2.7 million repair project begins in two years.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
The comments were made to calm community anxiety about a growing number of long cracks in the columns supporting the bridge's arches. Recently those cracks have started to widen, leading to rumors that the bridge might be closed, said Honolulu City Manager Ben Lee.
Anahulu Stream Bridge in Hale'iwa is showing of age. The cracks in its pillars and structure are caused by rusting metal inside.
"Some of the reinforcing is starting to rust within the concrete," Lee said. "And what happens when it rusts is that it expands, it pops the concrete cover, which is usually about an inch and a half to two inches thick."
While the result is unsightly, it does not significantly diminish the structural integrity of the bridge, said Lee.
"From the information I have, it's still structurally sound," said City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz. "But there is exposure to the rebars and other things."
Lee said a consultant surveyed the bridge last year and recommended that the city "do remedial and repair work." He said nearly $3 million has been budgeted, and the project should begin in early 2005.
He said the bridge might have to be closed during repairs and conceded that it would be an inconvenience to motorists and merchants. But he said traffic in and out of town could be routed around the Hale'iwa bypass road.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
The narrow, scenic bridge, built in 1926, was formerly part of the state highway system, said state Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa. However, Ishikawa said, it has been under the jurisdiction of the city and county since the Hale'iwa bypass was completed in 1995.
The cracks do not threaten the bridge's stability, officials say.
Lee said he was startled when he heard talk that the bridge would close in the near future.
"I think there was some story maybe a week ago that says, 'Oh, my gosh, they're going to close down the bridge and cause a whole bunch of inconvenience for the motorists,' " Lee said.
"I don't know where that came from. I haven't heard of any emergency remedial repair work from any of my folks."
Lee said getting federal money to help pay for the repairs would add an additional year to the start date because the bridge is a historical structure, which "would add a different layer of processing," for obtaining necessary permits.
Advertiser library photo
Lee said he didn't think the work should be delayed any longer than necessary.
"From the information I have, it's still structurally sound," said City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz.
"Structurally, it's more than sound," he said. "But, rust is rust. It's cancerous. What they have to do to repair it is chip away all the concrete and either sand blast or use mechanical wire brushing to remove all the rust. And then use a heavy epoxy coating to keep the rust out. Then they're come back and patch, and repaint the bridge."
In the past the Anahulu Stream Bridge has been deemed "deficient" by the Federal Highway Administration. However, officials in Hawai'i have pointed out that a deficient bridge isn't necessarily an unsafe bridge.
Dela Cruz said the North Shore community has been concerned about the fate of the landmark overpass because of fears that it might become so dilapidated it would have to be replaced.
Lee said the repair work should end that worry. Until then, the bridge won't be much to look at.
"I know it needs a coat of paint," he said, "but we shouldn't do that until we fix the rust."
