Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares announced that the Piilani Highway will reopen well ahead of schedule on Sunday.

The roadway that traverses the eastern side of Maui and connects the remote communities of Kaupo and Kipahulu had been closed for nearly two years following the October 15, 2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake. The 6.7 earthquake caused rockfalls, destabilized cliff faces and undermined sections of the road.

The cost of repairing the road was $10.8 million. FEMA funds may reimburse the County as much as $3 million; the County has received $1.1 million so far.

"We had anticipated about a month more of work, so being ahead of schedule is outstanding," said Mayor Charmaine Tavares. "It means that the people of Hana, Kipahulu and Kaupo can be reunited without traveling for hours through Central and Upcountry Maui."

Nearly 150 people from the Kaupo and Kipahulu communities came together to celebrate the much-anticipated reopening at a rededication ceremony held Saturday on the Alelele Bridge.

Drivers are reminded to drive cautiously since many parts of the historic road are very rural in nature.