Hawaii County to explore alternative route to and from Puna

A study to identify possible alternative travel routes from Pune could begin in early 2025.

The goal of the Pune Alternative Route Study is to find potential locations for another route to Pune to reduce the area’s dependence on Highway 130, its only major transit corridor prone to heavy congestion.

Efforts to develop an alternative route intensified after Kilauea’s 2018 eruption, when magma beneath the highway caused pavement to bulge and crack, causing residents to worry the road would be completely destroyed.

In 2021, Puna Rep. Greggor Ilagan committed $1 million in state funds for the initial study, and Hawaii County contributed an additional $500,000. The County Council ultimately decided to accept state funds — albeit after briefly rejecting them in January — and added another $500,000 to the county’s share, bringing the project’s total funding to $2 million.

However, county Public Works Director Steve Pause said the study would not begin until early 2025, and the scope of the project had not yet been determined or a consultant selected.

Pause said in an email that DPW is working with the county Department of Finance to secure a $1 million state contribution for the project. According to him, this should be resolved by the end of the year.

An additional $500,000 in county funds added to the initial state allocation will be used to expand the scope of the project.

Ilagan told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald that the county cannot use the original $1.5 million allocated in 2021 for anything other than what is specified in that allocation: in this case, a study of possible alternative Highway 130 makai routes.

Using additional county funds, the study could be expanded to areas of the Mauka Highway.

Pause noted via email that the title of the study had been changed from “Pune-Makai Alternative Route Study” to “Pune Alternative Route Study,” resulting in the removal of the “Makai” specification.

Ilagan told the Tribune-Herald that he suspects the upcoming elections have slowed the process.

“Depending on who the next mayor is, he will be the one who will carry the torch,” Ilagan said, adding that while current Mayor Mitch Roth supports the project, a shake-up in the administration could leave the study standing. suspended state. “I don’t blame them; this is the right step. Before you do anything, you should know who your mayor is.”

Meanwhile, Ilagan said no additional funds will be forthcoming from the government for the research.

“This funding was secured many years ago, and it was quite difficult to do,” he said.

Puna Councilmember Matt Kaneali-Kleinfelder said other state lawmakers, including Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, raised the possibility of adding the study to the state’s list of capital improvement projects at a recent town hall meeting. However, San Buenaventura did not respond to requests for comment in time for this story.