HDOT Expects Kaumālapaʻu Harbor to Reopen Sunday
photos by Anthony Pacheco Kaauamo
Kaumālapaʻu Harbor is expected to be ready for operations by Sunday, Sept. 13, as crews continue removing underwater hazards and repairing damage caused by Hurricane Lowell.
Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen was on Lānaʻi Thursday, Sept. 10, to attend the blessing of Lānaʻi Air’s Operations and Freight Building and to assess repair work underway at the harbor. HDOT later announced that the next Young Brothers barge shipment is expected to follow the company’s normal schedule, with the vessel in port Wednesday, Sept. 16, and departing Thursday, Sept. 17.
During a visit to Kaumālapaʻu, Sniffen said the storm surge moved jacks protecting the harbor entrance and broke some of them. Water pushed beneath the retaining wall and washed out fill material, creating two damaged areas near the pier.
“So the residents know during the storm we got significant storm surge that came through this area. Not a lot of rain, but the action that we got from the ocean was significant,” Sniffen said. One of the washouts initially measured about 25 feet by 25 feet, while another formed on the opposite side of the pier.
Sniffen said the location of the two washouts will not prevent barge operations. The immediate obstacle has been debris in the water, including two containers and other equipment washed into the ocean during the storm.
“Those pieces are dangerous for boats that come in, so we’re gonna have to move those first, before we can start bringing in any cargo,” Sniffen said.
HDOT said side-scan sonar work began Thursday to identify underwater hazards. Divers are expected Friday to direct cranes removing the containers and other debris from the waterway. Sniffen said the harbor could begin supporting operations before all land-side repairs are completed.
“We can start operations within the next 3 to 5 days,” Sniffen said during the harbor visit. He also said HDOT would work with Young Brothers to determine when the company could return to Kaumālapaʻu.
In a press release issued later Thursday, HDOT said the waterway is expected to be clear and the harbor ready for operations by Sunday, Sept. 13. HDOT also said the next Young Brothers shipment is expected to follow the normal Lānaʻi schedule, with the barge in port Wednesday and departing Thursday.
Land-side repairs will continue after the harbor reopens. Crews began filling the sinkhole Thursday using geotextile fabric, Kyowa bags, grout and boulders. HDOT expects sinkhole repairs and resurfacing of the pier apron to take seven days.
Sniffen said HDOT sent the head of its Maui District to Lānaʻi after the damage was identified. The response has involved GBI, Pūlama Lānaʻi and Young Brothers, with Pūlama providing use of a crane for the work.
“For us at DOT we understand how critical transportation is, and not just transportation of people. The goods are the biggest part. This is the lifeline for the island, and we know that,” Sniffen said.