Repairs to huge hole on Mamalahoa bypass stalled

A hole, thought to be under a foot deep and approximately 10 feet wide, appeared in the Mamalahoa bypass in late March, when 1250 Oceanside Partners removed the guard house to the upscale Hokulia development south of Keauhou.

Since, barricades and old planter boxes have been place around the hole, visibly warning motorists of its presence. When the hole on the private road will be fixed is unknown. Hawaii County cannot do any repairs, considered major work, until there’s conveyance of property ownership from the developer, said Warren Lee, the county’s Public Works director.

Inquiries about the hole and legalities were referred late Thursday afternoon to Rebecca Harrington, of 1250 Oceanside Partners, who could not be reached for comment as of press time.

According the settlement finalized in March, Hawaii County will likely be responsible for building the Mamalahoa bypass, as well as will take $12.5 million in cash and $20 million worth of lots in the Hokulia project. The property secures a $20 million promissory note 1250 Oceanside Partners must pay within two years, if it does not complete the road itself.

Under an agreement finalized in 2010 between the county and 1250 Oceanside Partners, the bypass has been open both ways to motorists from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Until the proper legal documents are submitted, the road is still owned by the developer and the county can only do maintenance work, Lee said.

The bypass is a nearly 3.5-mile-long road that connects Alii Drive to the 4,000-foot-long Halekii Street extension. Eventually it is planned to proceed all the way to Napoopoo Junction.

Following the conveyance of ownership, repairs, when started, will likely take about a week or two to complete. However, work largely depends on the availability of asphalt and manpower, as well as scheduling, Lee said. He could not provide an estimate of the costs for such a job.