Posted on: Thursday, September 23, 2004
State rushing to replace bowed bridge to Ha'ena
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau
LIHU'E, Kaua'i — State highways officials launched a $1 million emergency bridge-building effort yesterday on Kaua'i's North Shore after one of the 48-year-old one-lane bridges over Wainiha Stream sagged under a suspected overweight truck.
Guards will be stationed at Wainiha Bridge No. 2, which now carries a 6-ton rating, to ensure that no more overweight vehicles attempt to cross. Police have issued a citation to a trucker they said drove a 12-ton load across the bridge Friday.
The bridge work is expected to be completed by late November.
Area residents said heavy construction trucks had been crossing the bridge after midnight to avoid detection. Officials said they didn't know what caused the bridge to sag, but that heavy trucks "have significantly contributed to the bridge's poor condition."
Mayor Bryan Baptiste said his administration is working to provide emergency services to Ha'ena, on the far side of the bridge, since the county's lightest full-capacity fire truck weighs twice the bridge weight limit, even with its portable gear removed.
Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona said the state would build a 100-foot galvanized steel truss bridge directly on top of the failing structure, with its own supports. The state Department of Transportation has ordered a prefabricated steel bridge from Acrow Corp. of New Jersey. It will be installed by Hawaiian Dredging, which is on Kaua'i working on a similar project, said acting transportation director Bruce Matsui.
Bridge parts are expected to arrive by the end of October, and the bridge to be installed by late November. The installation is expected to take one or two days, during which it could cut off all vehicle traffic on Kuhio Highway beyond Wainiha.
"The safety of the more than 4,000 people who use the Wainiha Bridge No. 2 every day is of paramount concern for the state and the county," Aiona said.
A 1956 tsunami wiped out truss bridges that crossed the Wainiha River. Those bridges were replaced by wood and metal structures designed to last six months. Nearly a half century later, the three temporary Wainiha bridges still are in place.
Community groups have been working with the Department of Transportation to preserve the area's rural character, including its one-lane bridges. Barbara Robeson, Hanalei Roads Committee co-chair, said the committee hasn't had an opportunity to discuss the issue, but that the emergency plans for a one-lane bridge that may include a bike lane appear to be appropriate.
The proposed bridge should have a 44-ton rating, though it is unlikely ever to bear that kind of load. The bridges on either side of it have 8-ton and 6-ton load limits.
Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.
