Blessing for new section of Ke Ala Hele Makalae
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KAPAA, HAWAII—According to a release issued by the County of Kauai, a blessing and groundbreaking for the next segment of Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the multi-use path, was held in Kapaa on December 21, 2011 at Gore Park near Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital. The new section, referred to as the Kawaihau spur, will be an offshoot of the main path, spanning approximately one-half mile from the intersection of Kawaihau Road and Kuhio Highway and ending at the top of the hill at Gore Park. An existing footpath will serve as the foundation for the Spur, which will be 10 to 12 feet wide and constructed of concrete. Completion of this segment is expected by the end of next year. To accommodate people with disabilities, an elevated boardwalk will be incorporated into the spur at a later date as a separate project. When the entire path is finished, it will cover roughly 30 miles from Anahola to Nawiliwili, mostly along the coast. So far, 6.8 miles of the path has been built. |
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“We are very pleased to begin work on this segment of the multi-use path, which incorporates Complete Streets principles that encourage residents to engage in physical activity,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. “Soon travelers in the area will be able to go to and from Kapa‘a town using this path as an alternative to driving.”Kaikor Construction was awarded a $3.75 million contract to construct the Kawaihau spur and the Papaloa Road segment, which will also be starting soon.
Building Division Chief Doug Haigh, who has served as manager of the multi-use path project since the beginning, is looking forward to the construction of the remaining segments.
“We’re working on the other phases simultaneously,” said Haigh. “It’ll be a few years before it’s all completed, but the view afforded by Ke Ala Hele Makalae will be unsurpassed.”
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| photo credit: Mary Daubert | the County of Kauai |
Phase III, which includes two miles from Lydgate to Lihi Park in Kapa‘a, will connect the completed portions of the path. Divided into segments, the part that runs alongside the Bryan J. Baptiste Memorial Bridge was completed in March of this year.
The rest of Phase III is at various stages of development.
Phase IV, which will run from Lydgate Park to Ahukini Landing, and Phase VI, Nawiliwili to Ahukini Landing, are going through the environmental assessment process. After the final EA is completed, the next step will be the special management area (SMA) and Conservation District Use (CDU) permitting process.
Planning for Phase V, from Kuna Bay to Anahola, is currently on hold.
For more information about the multi-use path, please call the Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 241-4460.
During his inaugural speech titled Holo Holo 2020, Mayor Carvalho spoke about his vision for Kauai in the year 2020, which includes constructing as many segments of Ke Ala Hele Makalae as possible.
The multi-use path is one of 38 projects that are part of the mayor’s Holo Holo 2020 vision for Kauai, which calls for all organizations, businesses, residents and visitors on Kauai to be part of creating an island that is sustainable, values the native culture, has a thriving and healthy economy, cares for all – keiki to kupuna – and has a responsible and user-friendly local government.
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