Lanai harbor repairs launched

The Maui News
Monday, August 16, 2004

By MELISSA TANJI, Staff Writer

LANAI CITY - Lanai residents, politicians and state and private officials attended a ground-breaking ceremony Sunday for a long-awaited $16 million breakwater repair project for Kaumalapau Harbor.

The harbor has been in need of repair since it sustained damage and erosion from Hurricane Iwa in 1982 and Hurricane Iniki in 1992, said state Sen. J. Kalani English, whose district includes Lanai.

"It's very important to the lifeline of Lanai," he said.

The project will repair the existing breakwater originally built during the 1920s to reduce wave action in the harbor and to increase harbor safety and usability.

The massive swells from the hurricanes destroyed the existing breakwater guarding the harbor entrance.

Without protection for the harbor on the west side of Lanai, rough seas occasionally have prevented barges from stopping at the island, blocking shipments of essential foodstuff as well as fuel and building materials.

Kaumalapau Harbor is the only commercial harbor on the island.

"They really feel the pinch when they cannot get a delivery of food because of the high seas," English said.

English said a majority of the funding is coming from federal sources with the state and Lanai Co. helping out with the bill.

English is also pleased at how the private as well as the public sector came together on the project.

In July 2000, Lanai Co. turned over the land around the harbor to the state to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed on the repairs.

The corps is prohibited from providing improvements to a privately owned harbor.

English said when the repairs are completed, it will provide stability for the island, stabilize the prices of goods and hopefully make the prices of goods decrease.

The repair on the breakwater calls for the Corps of Engineers to deepen the harbor and construct a 320-foot-long breakwater to protect the barge dock from swells.

The repairs will include the placement of 35-ton Core-Loc units - concrete armor units - to repair the breakwater.

The project contractor is Traylor Brothers Inc., and work is scheduled to be completed in May 2006.

Those also attending Sunday's event included U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, state Department of Transportation Director Rodney Haraga, state Rep. Sol Kaho'ohalahala, representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers and other officials, along with around 50 Lanai residents.

Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

Copyright © 2003 — The Maui News

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