When police officers were called last week to investigate what they would later learn was a triple homicide at Manoa Lookout on Round Top Drive, they were forced to take long, winding Tantalus Drive — adding precious minutes to their response time — because of a months-old road closure.

Ambulances also had to take the longer way. The first two paramedics to get to the lookout drove mopeds past a roadblock and over an unstable portion of roadway, officials said.

"It was a little difficult," said Major Randy Macadangdang of the Honolulu Police Department, whose district includes Tantalus. "Obviously, we could have gotten there faster without the closure. We're doing the best we can."

Tantalus residents say the longer response to the shootings raises questions about whether the road closure poses a public health risk. They also worry a life will be lost because police or rescuers have to take Tantalus Drive instead of Round Top, potentially adding 40 minutes to their roundtrip.

"It's a realization of the added risk due to that fact that the road is closed," said John Steelquist, chairman of the Makiki/Lower Punchbowl/Tantalus Neighborhood Board. "We had something and the ambulance took a long time to get there. It's twice as far away."

CLOSED SINCE APRIL

A portion of Round Top Drive, near 'Aina Lani Way, has been closed since April, when a landslide compromised the underside of the road. City and state officials maintain they're working as fast as they can to repair the road, which is expected to reopen in October.

The city owns the road, and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is responsible for the fallen hillside. Work to repair the road is expected to start in August.

Eugene Lee, director of the city's Department of Design and Construction, said crews will drive pilings into the road to keep it stable. After the roadwork is finished, the city will determine whether the road is stable enough to drive on, Lee said.

CITY FIRST, THEN STATE

The state will work to stabilize the hillside under the road sometime after the city has completed its project, though it's still unclear when work will start, DLNR chief engineer Eric Hirano said. Next month, state crews will trim trees along and above the roadway.

In the meantime, Lee said, even emergency vehicles won't be allowed on the closed portion of the road. "We're not comfortable about putting any heavy vehicles" on the road, he said, citing safety concerns for repair workers and emergency responders.

City Councilman Rod Tam, whose district includes Tantalus, said more coordination is needed between the city and state. "The state needs to get their act together," he said, adding that the city's portion of the roadwork is only a short-term fix.

"If there's a fire or a need for an ambulance, the ambulance is not going to be on there on time," he said. "We need to be proactive, and resolve these foreseeable problems."

Steelquist, who lives on upper Tantalus Drive, also said there needs to be a second route off the mountain, if only for emergencies. At least twice since the closure, Steelquist said, he slept at his office because fallen trees were blocking Tantalus Drive and he couldn't get home.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.