After disastrous flooding struck Kauai’s North Shore in mid-April 2018, causing damage to the highway and bridges. Initial estimates had the North Shore reopening to the public around October 2018. Access to the North Shore is still closed to the public past the town of Hanalei. The damage and repairs are extensive. Then, Hurricane Lane struck the island at the end of August 2018.  Bringing new flooding and damage to the area, which setback the timeline. The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) recently updated the time estimate for the road closure. They said “Kuhio Highway, the road to the North Shore will be closed to the public until the end of 2018”. This is the only only land access. The closure includes access to the popular Kalalau Trail, Ke’e and Tunnels and Lumahai.

HDOT reports:

LIHUE – Tropical Cyclone Lane brought additional repairs. The timelines and estimated costs are still unclear. These emergency repairs to Kuhio Highway from the April 2018 flooding are being reassessed following the recent flooding.

Before the cyclone, HDOT had an estimat for the repairs. The goal was to be completed in October at a cost of $80 million.

Flooding on August 27 and 28 inundated Kuhio Highway at Hanalei Bridge and between the Waikoko and Wainiha checkpoints. Saturation from the heavy rains also compromised the slope. The location of the compromised slope is at mile marker 1.0 leading up to the Hanalei Bridge. This also resulted in rockfall and a fallen tree. HDOT is performing rock scaling on this slope today. This will prevent additional material loosened by the rains from falling onto the roadway.

In summary, there were setbacks due to additional flooding. Once, we complete the in-depth assessments, we estimate that the project completion date is closer to the end of the year.

Visit Emergency Repairs project website for a full a full list of additional work/estimated costs.
https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/2018-kuhio-highway-emergency-repairs/.
-Photo: Hawaii Department of Transportation

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About Darci Frankel - Darci is Managing Owner of Hanalei Day Spa and and Ayurvedic specialist and creator of the Serious Cleanse Method, with over 30 years of clinical experience helping people identify and correct the root causes of imbalance. She is known for her ability to connect complex symptoms into clear patterns—guiding clients to restore energy, improve digestion, balance hormones, and reduce toxic load through personalized, practical strategies. Darci is the owner of Hanalei Day Spa on Kauai’s North Shore, where she has spent decades refining her approach to cleansing, healing, and long-term wellness. She lives on Kauai with her husband and continues to share her work with clients locally and worldwide.

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3 thoughts

  1. John

    HCR is our favorite place to stay. We saddened that you’ll be closed but we understand that it takes time to get things repaired. We’ll be looking forward to visiting HCR soon!

    1. Day Spa

      Thank you, John, for your kind message and understanding.
      We certainly look forward to seeing you next time!

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