Repairs to Pi'ilani Highway were completed ahead of schedule, allowing Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares to open the road yesterday.

The road has been closed for nearly two years since the Oct. 15, 2006, Big Island earthquakes that caused rockfalls, destabilized cliff faces and undermined sections of the road.

The $10.8 million emergency repair projects may qualify for additional money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but so far the county footed most of the bill, receiving only $1 million from FEMA.

More than 10 miles of road were closed during the stabilization work that includes removal of loose and unstable rocks from cliff faces and rockfall netting on destabilized areas.

"We had anticipated about a month more of work, so being ahead of schedule is outstanding," Tavares said in a prepared statement. "It means that the people of Hana, Kipahulu and Kaupo can be reunited without traveling for hours through central and upcountry Maui. The difficulty of the long travel and the rising costs of fuel were keeping some families apart."

One of the most difficult problems was informing tourists during the construction that there was no through traffic on the eastern side of the island, Tavares said. In addition, sometimes drivers who did not heed roadway signs announcing road closures were forced to turn around in Kipahulu and return to central Maui via Hana's winding road, she said.

On Saturday, nearly 150 people from Kaupo and Kipahulu celebrated the reopening of the road during a rededication ceremony at Alelele Bridge.

"This highway is more than just a road," said state Sen. Kalani English D-6th (E. Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i) in a prepared statement. "Growing up in Hana and traveling this road, I remember the stories of the place and how it brought families and friends together. I appreciate that Mayor Tavares held her ground and completed the work, despite certain agencies suggesting that the road not be opened."

Motorists are advised to drive carefully because many parts of the historic roads, which connect remote communities of Kaupo and Kipahulu, are rural.