Makua Military Reservation will be off-limits to civilians for at least another month while officials continue to sweep the area for old munitions, the Army said yesterday.

The Army closed the reservation and stopped all planned cultural visits last week after crews discovered a 250-pound World War II-era bomb underneath an internal access road.

The bomb, along with three small munitions discovered in a subsequent sweep of the reservation, remains unmoved and unexploded while ordnance disposal experts decide the best way to deal with the situation, the Army said.

A civilian access visit planned Nov. 16-17 to coincide with the Hawaiian makahiki celebration has been canceled, the Army said.

The Army yesterday said the 250-pound bomb is approximately 550 yards from a campsite and not far from three ceremonial structures used by Native Hawaiians during the makahiki observance.

Experts have determined the large bomb cannot be safely removed; ultimately it will be detonated in place. Army officials said they will wait until a complete sweep of the reservation is completed later this month before detonating all the munitions found, probably at the same time.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.