Pali Highway and Lookout are Closed Indefinitely

Heads up!  If you’re planning on visiting Oahu in the next few months, it’s worth noting that the Pali Highway and Lookout are closed indefinitely.  

Last week, a landslide covered Pali Highway with large boulders, dirt, and other debris.  That was followed by yet another one the day after, which also damaged the Old Pali Road above Pali Highway.  As a result, the Hawaii Department of Transportation closed the highway to clean it up.  But the problem is far worse than initially thought, forcing the closure of the highway for months on end. 

Why This Matters

Pali Highway is one of four routes one takes when traveling from the Southern part of Oahu to the Windward Coast.  Unfortunately, the Pali Highway is also the most direct route between downtown Honolulu and Kaneohe, Kailua, and Waimanalo.  So the closure of this major highway is causing enormous traffic headaches, which have rippled across the island.  You see, the other routes to the Windward side terminate in Kalihi by the Bishop Museum, in Halawa Valley near Aiea, and in Hawaii Kai near Hanauma Bay.  That’s causing increased congestion in these areas, which affects traffic to major attractions like Hanauma Bay and Pearl Harbor, as well as the airport.  

But increased traffic in Honolulu’s urban core isn’t the only concern for visitors.  The loss of the Pali Highway (temporarily) means increased travel times to get to popular Windward Oahu sites.  These include places like Kualoa Ranch, Chinaman’s Hat, Kailua Beach, Lanikai Beach, Lanikai Pill Box Hike, Sea Life Park Hawaii, and more.

Why the Highway Remains Closed

Despite debris removal happening at a quick pace, the Pali Highway must remain closed due to instability in the area.  The ridge next to the Pali Tunnels has always been unstable.  However, unusually wet weather triggered further erosion, which resulted in the landslide.  So, now, HI DOT engineers must find a way to protect the highway from further incidents.

At the moment, HI DOT is considering two options: (1) reinforce the entire mountainside or (2) extend the tunnels to protect the highway.  Both of these options will take months of engineering and construction work.  But until that happens, the highway is deemed too dangerous to re-open regularly. 

Temporary Fix

When the initial closure happened, commute times for nearly everyone increased by 50% to 100%, myself included.  And I live in Pearl City, so I don’t use the affected routes.  But, again, the closure does have a strong ripple effect across the entire island.  So, to ease congestion, HI DOT is reopening and contraflowing one side of the highway during peak travel times only (5 to 9 am and 3 to 7 pm on weekdays only).  All other times, you’ll need to use an alternate route like the Like Like Highway, the H3 Freeway, or Kalanianaʻole Highway.

How this Affects the Pali Lookout

As mentioned earlier, the Old Pali Road was heavily damaged during the landslide.  And, the remanents of the old highway begins at the Look Out.  So, given the proximity of the of the lookout to the landslide site, there are concerns that the area is unsafe.  Plus, officials closed Pali Highway before the entrance to the Look Out.  

According to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, they’re working with HIDOT to adjust closure barriers to allow access to the park.  Such a move will only happen, though, once the DLNR completes safety assessments of the area.  

Pali Highway and Lookout are Closed Indefinitely, Final Thoughts

The current situation sucks, especially for locals.  But things certainly could have been worse.  And while the State of Hawaii says repairs will take months, I’m skeptical.  Personally, I think it’ll take much longer; perhaps six months or longer.  But, for now, we’ll have to deal with the situation at hand.  So, plan accordingly, especially if you plan on visiting Windward Oahu.