Department of Land and Natural Resources

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
News Release

DAVID Y. IGE GOVERNOR

SUZANNE D. CASE CHAIRPERSON

For Immediate News Release October 30, 2017

 

DLNR, MOANALUA GARDENS FOUNDATION REPAIRING KAMANANUI VALLEY ROAD OCTOBER 2017-2018

HONOLULU—The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), O‘ahu Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and the Moanalua Gardens Foundation (MGF), in conjunction with Community Planning & Engineering, Inc. (CPE) have begun road repairs to the Kamananui Valley Road in Moanalua Valley. Kamananui Valley Road and the popular Kulana‘ahane hiking trail will remain open during regular trail hours; however, some phases of the project will require periodic, full-valley closures.

Initial stages of construction began October 16, 2017. The project will end by October 31, 2018, and will repair and extend 11 major stream crossings. These repairs will improve safety for all valley users by redirecting water flow and mitigating erosion. Additional work will allow better access for service vehicles by leveling deeply rutted portions and removing large boulders.

The project, authorized during the Legislature Regular Sessions of 2013 and 2014, is a capital improvement project (CIP) which received a total of $1,650,000 in general obligation bond funds. Funding supported planning, design, and construction for the project and was approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. MGF entered a memorandum of understanding with DLNR to support portions of the project that take place in portions of Kamananui Valley located within the Moanalua portion of the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve.

Safety notice
Public access will remain open for the duration of the project. However, users are advised to exercise caution when visiting Moanalua Valley. Construction will occur every weekday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. In this time, pedestrians will be asked to yield to all motorized traffic and heed warning signs that delineate high-risk areas. Families are also asked to closely supervise all children and family pets while on-trail. Noise, dust, and periodic delays may alter the expected user experience.

To ensure the best hiking experience, O‘ahu DOFAW encourages hikers to consider visiting the valley during non-construction hours or traveling to other State-sanctioned trails. Regular visitation to Kamananui Valley Road will resume after 3:30 pm on weekdays, till sunset, and during daylight hours on weekends. Full valley closures will be issued one month in advance by Oahu DOFAW.

Potential visitors to Moanalua Valley are encouraged to visit the Na Ala Hele, DOFAW Trail and Access website at:  hawaiitrails.hawaii.gov for up-to-date project information and alternate routes. Hunting permits for Moanalua Valley will be issued on a case-by-case basis. For more hunting information, please contact the DOFAW offices at (808)587-0166 or via email at [email protected] 

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Media contact:

Deborah Ward
Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources
Communications Specialist
(808) 587-0320