UPDATE – (4 p.m. on Thursday, September 22)

• Road work on Stainback Highway, from the Panaʻewa Zoo to North Kūlani Road, will begin September 27 with pothole repair.
• The work will be performed from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is expected to result in traffic delays.

UPDATE – (4:45 p.m. on Thursday, September 22)

• Hawaiʻi County Councilmember Matt Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder issued a news release saying the project “will achieve connectivity in our rapidly growing district by establishing an alternate route for Upper Puna residents.” Full statement below.

From the County of Hawaiʻi:

Hawaiʻi County Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Transportation (DOT) will commence repairs to Stainback Highway from the Pana’ewa Zoo to North Kūlani Road. The road work will occur in three phases. First, DPW will be repairing potholes beginning September 27. Next, DPW will perform shoulder repairs beginning in late October. Lastly, DOT will repave the roadway from Panaʻewa Zoo to North Kūlani Road, likely starting in January 2023.

Weather permitting, road work will be performed from 8:30 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday. Expect traffic delays, potential one-lane closures as needed, and flaggers directing traffic. Large trucks and personnel will be on the roadway.

We appreciate your patience and apologize for this inconvenience.

From councilman Kānealiʻi-Kleinfelder:

Given the tremendous population growth experienced in Puna in the last decade, creating alternate public safety and emergency access routes in our district is one of the top priorities for our community. Through the concerted efforts of our office with County, State, and community members, this project will achieve connectivity in our rapidly growing district by establishing an alternate route for Upper Puna residents. This is a project that has been requested by many communities across Puna, to remedy congestion along the Volcano Highway corridor and ensure the safe travel of our residents.

Mahalo to the Hawaiʻi Island Subdivision Alliance (HISA) for working with my office to elevate these improvements as a top priority for Puna. Additionally, mahalo nui loa to Ed Sniffen and Harry Takiue from the Department of Transportation, Senators Joy San Buenaventura and Lorraine Inouye, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Public Works, and Mayor Mitch Roth for collaborating with us on this crucial initiative.