The state Department of Transportation is seeking to shore up the slopes along Highway 19 in Laupahoehoe Gulch.
The state Department of Transportation is seeking to shore up the slopes along Highway 19 in Laupahoehoe Gulch.
The road running along the edges of the steep horseshoe gulches on the Hamakua Coast can be treacherous under even the best of conditions. But when heavy rains strike the east side of the island, rockfalls there are all too common, with boulders, dirt and other debris becoming dislodged and tumbling into the path of oncoming vehicles.
On Friday, the Board of Land and Natural Resources will hear an application by the DOT requesting the DLNR set aside portions of land, grant easements, and provide construction rights-of-entry on three parcels within Laupahoehoe Gulch to install stabilization measures.
The slopes along the gulches were destabilized following earthquakes nine years ago, according to the DOT application.
“Daily clearing of the fallen debris is required at each of these gulch crossings, and cases of boulders of up to two feet in diameter falling into the roadway after heavy rains have been experienced,” the application reads. “Falling debris presents a hindrance and expense to DOT Highways due to the need for constant cleanup, as well as obvious safety risks to highway travelers along the Hamakua Coast.”
Planned improvements include the installation of anchored wire mesh panels along the existing steep cliffs adjacent to the roadway entrances and exits of Laupahoehoe Gulch.