SENATOR J. KALANI ENGLISH WELCOMES REOPENING OF PIILANI HIGHWAY

Road closure had disrupted lives for nearly two years.

HANA – After nearly two years of waiting, Senator J. Kalani English (District 6 - Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe) is contemplating the final day of closure for the Piilani Highway, and the affect it has had on the lives of residents of Kaupo and Kipahulu. The highway is scheduled to be dedicated and re-opened on Saturday.

"This has been something I've heard about repeatedly," said Senator English. "My constituents would keep asking, 'Has there been progress? Will it open soon?' I'm relieved to see the project coming to an end. It's a great day when we can see all of these lives finally getting back to normal."

The earthquakes of October, 2006 severely damaged the highway, with continuing rock falls and other hazards leading to the road's closure in December, 2006. Since then, remedial work has stabilized the hillside and cuts in the road. Concerns over the adequacy of barriers meant to limit access, as well as the repeated vandalism of the barriers, kept community attention on the project.

"Whenever you have this kind of high profile project that touches the lives of so many people, there's going to be constant attention," continued Senator English. "The re-opening of the road gives our residents one less thing to think about, one less worry."

"We also need to look at this in the larger context of the area the highway serves," he says. "It is an example of how isolated East Maui is. One thing that made losing the road even harder on residents was that Hana Harbor is not in operation. Our next priorities should be getting the harbor back in working condition—which I have had included in the state's Harbor Improvement Plan—and ensuring that our bridges are in good repair. None of us want to see anyone face another two years of isolation."

Senator English concludes that the results were worth the wait. "There's always a chance that someone is going to look back and ask why it took two years, and if maybe we could have gotten more attention along the way. I'm not one of those people. I believe our community is truly thankful that our access has been restored, and that the government listened to our concerns and gave us a safe way home."

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Senator J. Kalani English opens Piilani Highway, which was closed for two years following the 2006 earthquake, Hanawi Valley, Kaupo, Maui 4 Oct. 2008	Sen. J. Kalani English, Mayor Charmaine Tavares joined by Russell Kaanaana (L) and Kaleo Kaina (R) at the opening of the new section of Piilani Highway
Senator J. Kalani English is given the honor of being the first to cross the newly opened Piilani Highway after the blessing ceremonies, Hanawi Valley	Jimmy Perry, County Supervisor for Hana, Sen. J. Kalani English and Janoud Contractors owner Pierre Mousseau open Piilani Highway to traffic, Hanawi Valley, Kaupo, Maui 4 Oct. 2008

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