A diagram showing the trusses that need to be welded courtesy Hawaiʻi DOT

(BIVN) – Emergency welding will take place on the Kolekole Bridge on Highway 19, state officials said, two days after the allowable weight rating for vehicles had to be reduced to 4 tons following bridge inspection findings.

From the Hawaiʻi DOT:

Following additional analysis, the department is pursuing emergency welding to support raising the weight restriction to 12 tons, which will accommodate most emergency and transit vehicles. Staff is coordinating with Hawaii County emergency responders and will allow ambulances on the bridge starting today.

HDOT is targeting completion of the emergency welding by Monday, Sept. 20, pending availability of a contractor. During the emergency welding, there will be a single lane closure on the bridge.

The timeline for the longer-term repairs is still 3-4 months pending availability of materials. The expedited repairs are supported by the declaration of Hawaii Belt Road in the vicinity of Kolekole Bridge as a traffic emergency zone.