The Hana Highway, part of Maui’s belt road system, is a critical transportation link providing the primary automobile route that connects east Maui communities with the rest of the island. It is also one of the most spectacular sections of roadway on the island in both its scenery and historic character.

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HDOT maintains approximately 29 miles of Hana Highway in the Hana Belt Road Historic District, including 43 bridges and 12 large culverts, from the Hoalua Stream Bridge near Huelo to Hana. South of Hana, the road and its bridges fall under the jurisdiction of Maui County.

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To further understand public safety and historic preservation considerations along Hana Highway, HDOT recently developed the 2015 Hana Highway, Route 360 Bridge Preservation Plan (Preservation Plan) for its state-maintained bridges in the Hana Belt Road Historic District.  Development of this plan included historical and engineering review, as well as extensive public and agency outreach. The Preservation Plan provides an inventory of the historic bridges, evaluation of each structure’s historic significance and integrity, and concept-level engineering recommendations for each structure. Also included in the Preservation Plan were recommendations for additional known studies and/or future considerations.

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Due to the large number of aging bridges, treatment needs along Hana Highway exceed current funding that is available to HDOT. As part of the agency’s system preservation goals, six bridges have been identified by HDOT that require more immediate attention. These bridges were identified to be among those with the lowest load ratings and greatest maintenance needs among all the bridges on the route, and are the focus of this Hana Highway Bridge Improvements project.