THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

63

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PRIORITIZE REMEDIATION OF THE FLOODING ISSUES PRESENT ON ROUTE 11 AROUND MILE POST SIXTY AS A SAFETY PROJECT.

 

 

     WHEREAS, there is well-documented flooding on Route 11 near Mile Post 60, on Hawaii Island; and

 

     WHEREAS, flooding frequently causes the highway to close; and

 

     WHEREAS, Route 11 is a portion of Mamalahoa Highway that acts as the main artery into the southern tip of the island, and is also the only route that connects the two main towns of the Kaʻū district; and

 

     WHEREAS, the closure of this highway poses a major safety issue for the surrounding residents, being their lifeline to medical services and an emergency evacuation route; and

 

     WHEREAS, the highway was constructed before 1962 and lacks drainage elements within this low-lying section; and

 

     WHEREAS, Mamalahoa Highway has closed at least six times since 2012 due to flooding; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Legislature has previously included funds for maintenance of this highway in the budget and attempted to pass remedial legislation; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation has considered installing flood monitoring systems and raising the highway as much as ten feet and installing culverts; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Transportation is requested to prioritize remediation of the flooding issues present on Route 11 around Mile Post 60 as a safety project; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to submit a report detailing its plan for remediation, including an estimated budget, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation and Mayor of Hawaii County.

 

 

Report Title: 

Department of Transportation, Mamalahoa Highway, Route 11, flooding, Reports to the legislature.