The Wailua River Bridge is going to undergo some major upgrades, with replacement of the wooden pilings as one of the objectives, as part of a $55.7 million project that has just begun.
“This is a critical infrastructure project for Kauai, and it’s the kind of work that Governor [David] Ige has made a top priority for his administration,” Jade Butay, director of the state Department of Transportation, said in a recent news release from the governor’s office.
Work will take an expected 18 months, the release said. A major part of the funding—80% ($44.6 million)—is coming from the federal government, with the state picking up the remaining 20% ($11.17 million).
The Wailua River Bridge was constructed nearly eight decades ago, at the end of World War II. The 424-foot-long span is supported by seven concrete piers, which are supported by timber piles that were driven into the riverbed.
The new construction project will replace the wooden piles by ones made of reinforced concrete, the release said. The concrete piles will be able to stand up to the heavy rains and flooding that are a normal part of nature in the area.
A smaller part of the project calls for constructing a new pier between the piles as a way to provide better support for the existing superstructure.
The bridge is one of two auto routes that residents of the communities north of the river have when they want access to essential services, such as the hospital in Lihue and the airport; a report on ENR California said this week. Work started on Wednesday. Because of the bridge’s importance, the contractor will keep it viable for as much time as possible during the construction.