New “bridge” proposed for So. Kihei Road
May 14, 2013 
3 Comments
On Tuesday morning (5/14/13) the KCA planning committee welcomed Wilson Okomoto Corp. of Oahu offering a presentation of a proposed bridge replacement in the notorious flooding area at the corner of Kaonoulu, near the Whale Sanctuary in North Kihei. The existing four barrel box culverts are failing, and a bridge replacement is being developed. Led by former County Planning Dept. Director Milton Arakawa and Lauren Yasaka, in cooperation with County Public Works Director David Goode and that depsrtment’s Wendy Kobashigawa, the committee observed an informative power point presentation of the project, identified as Kulanihakoi Bridge Replacement, which could begin later this year. KCA is considering having a Community Meeting later this year on this project. If you do not think this committee is busy, this was only item one of nine of their meeting agenda. Maybe you would have an interest in joining them. to plan South Maui’s future?
Wendy Kobashigawa DPW
If you look at this drainage outlet now, the outlet to the ocean is completely built up with sand from the “dune restoration” project and attempts to stop sand from blowing into the condo units across the street. What ever drainage there was for the stream into the ocean is completely blocked up to the road level. I cant see where this a good or safe thing for the adjoining area. The county is responsible for this situation which is man created and can be easily remedied.
The movement of the dunes is a natural process that stockpiles sand for beach building. The berm at the stream mouth is a natural process for holding the water on the land (wetland)rather than allowing it to discharge sediment and nutrients directly to the ocean. In the natural process, water seeps into the groundwater and ocean through soils and sand. Sediments and nutrients are trapped and help build land. Removing the dunes to hasten movement of water to the ocean will only pollute the ocean and hasten land loss. Yes, land loss. Sea level is rising, shoreline is retreating and groundwater is rising. Our tax dollars should be spent moving the road away from the shoreline, buying up properties to convert back to open space and wetlands that will mitigate flooding, salt water intrusion into the aquifer, and land loss at the shoreline. Abandon the road to vehicular traffic, make it pedestrian/bicycle only. Let the dunes move to protect the shoreline and beach and ocean water quality. It is the human-built roads and buildings that are in the way, not the dunes.The remedy is not to remove the dunes, but rather to modify the built environment to be appropriate to the hazards of the natural environment of the shorelines and floodplains.
I agree with the comments of Robin Knox. My suggestion is that instead of building a temporary road and bridge on the mauka side of the existing bridge that what should be considered is building a permanent bridge on the mauka side of the existing. That would get the bridge somewhat back from the beach and would allow for improvement of parking at the beach.