PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
May 28, 2023

County to hold community meetings this weekend in Kīpahulu, Hāna and Kaupo to discuss Alelele Point road closure

The County of Maui will hold three community meetings this weekend for residents and businesses impacted by the emergency road closure at the Alelele Point area in East Maui.

Two meetings will be held Saturday, June 3, in East Maui, and a third will follow the next day, Sunday, June 4, in Kaupo.
A meeting in Kīpahulu is set from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 3, at the Kalena Triangle. A Hāna town meeting will be held 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Wananalua Church hall. Finally, a Kaupo meeting is scheduled from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 4, at Kaupo School.

Rockfalls near Alelele Point caused vehicle damages and obstructed the roadway, forcing a one-mile road closure of Hāna Highway from Alelele to Lelekea bridges starting May 10 due to unsafe conditions.

Roughly 1,500 tons of rock debris will need to be removed, a consultant said last week following an assessment of the area. The county will select a contractor Tuesday. Rock scaling is estimated to start June 5 and last about three weeks. The initial emergency cliffside stabilization work will cost approximately $900,000.

The remote, narrow roadway connects the rural areas of Kīpahulu and Kaupo. If motorists approach the barricade closure from either Hāna / Kīpahulu or from Kaupo / Kanaio, they must U-turn and return the way they came. Haleakalā National Park Kīpahulu District remains accessible through Hāna.

Visitors are encouraged to avoid individual trips and instead use group tours to help mitigate increased traffic congestion.

Residents are asked to report impacts of the closure through the county Maui Emergency Management Agency online form to help determine the extent of impact and identify people in need of assistance. The form can be found at https://www.crisistrack.com/selfreport/?cid=mauiHI&schemaId=mauiHITask&iid=645e944954ca5738ee568f3a&appId=mauiHI.

For information on the community meetings, call the Mayor’s Office at (808) 270-7855.

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RESOURCES / County of Maui photos
Photo 1: Alelele Point is shown.
Photo 2: Lelekea bridge barricade is pictured.
Community meeting poster