Repair work continues on O?ahu’s Pali Highway where landslides in February blocked the tunnels that connect Honolulu with the Windward side.
Local staff members of U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard were given a tour Thursday of the work underway.
Hundred of tons of rubble have been removed from around the Pali Highway Tunnels and construction crews are now working to stabilize the soil above the highway.
Hundreds of steel anchors are being drilled 20 to 30 feet into the slope underneath Old Pali Road, which suffered significant damage during the landslide.
Once the anchors are complete, a mesh net will be placed over the slope to contain any future rockfalls.
The state Department of Transportation also plans to extend the ceiling of the Honolulu-bound tunnel approximately 100 feet towards Kailua as an additional protective measure.
The repairs are estimated to cost $15-20 million and scheduled for completion by the first week of August. Until then, a contraflow lane will continue to be in place.
Currently the Honolulu-bound contraflow lane is open on weekdays from 5-9am. The Windward-bound lane is open on weekdays from 5-7pm.
The Department of Transportation will be posting updates to the contraflow lane schedule on its Twitter and Facebook accounts.
You can see more pictures of the repair work on The Conversation’s Instagram page.
