The Hawaii Department of Transportation has declared a traffic emergency in West Maui because king tides have eroded portions of Honoapiilani Highway near Olowalu. Plans are underway to realign the highway, but construction is still years away. So, for now, the state is using temporary solutions to stabilize the road like mesh bags filled with sand and rock and barricades.
โShoreline armoring really is considered a solution of last resort,โ said Tara Owens, coastal scientist with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program. As a coastal scientist, Owens informs authorities about erosion, its impacts, response efforts, and helps them with decision making. โThe changes to our landscape at the shoreline, which are driven by sea level rise, but also the land uses that weโve done in the past, putting buildings close to the ocean, putting roads close to the ocean, those things donโt just affect us humans and our lives, but also the whole ecosystem,โ Owens said.
While the bags and barricades are temporary solutions, transportation officials say it is the best-case scenario for an immediate fix. โIf it cuts any further back, we might have to shut down that whole route while we fix it,โ said Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen. โThirty-three percent of Mauiโs economy lives on that west side. There are many residents that are on west side that have to commute into Kahului every day. So, getting rid of that connectivity and pushing everybody to the back roads would be tremendously impactful.โ
