Work on Cemetery Road Slated to Begin

Work to restore Cemetery Road in Pahoa is slated to begin on Monday, Oct. 5 after a nearly one-month period of project bidding.

The Hawai’i County Department of Public Works announced in August that it planned to restore the roadway following lava from the June 27, 2014 lava flow crossing over the roadway on Oct. 25, 2014, subsequently opening project bidding on Sept. 10.

DPW officials say that after an assessment of the area, including the exit and entrance to the Ka’ohe Homesteads subdivision, the restoration of the roadway is important for public safety.

The project will include removing the lava that flowed onto the roadway near the Pahoa Recycling and Transfer Station last year. After removing the lava and grading it down to original levels, crews will pave the 500-foot stretch of the road.

Officials believe the project will take about 40 working days, weather pending, and will cost $150,000. Seventy-five percent of the project’s cost will be funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Initially, the project was expected to cost $200,000.

Heavy trucks and equipment will operate in the area, using both Cemetery Road and Ap’a Street.

During the project, Cemetery Road will remain closed as a through street.