Hanapepe River 1941
On February 25th HHF attended the Kauai Historic Bridges Forum in Lihue. Read more below about what led to the Forum and why we were there.
Hawaii’s Historic Bridges
We may drive over them on a regular basis, walk or recreate near them or view them as a familiar part of the landscape. But where exactly are Hawaii’s historic bridges and what condition are they in?
Background
Preserving our historic bridges requires they first be identified and inventoried and then assessed for their eligibility for historic designation. Here’s where the state stands in this process:
In 2013, HDOT and FHWA completed an inventory and assessment of all 708 state- and county-owned bridges and culverts built before 1968 to determine which are eligible for listing on the Hawai‘i and National Registers of Historic Places.
The Historic Bridge Inventory & Evaluation found that 384 individual bridges and 147 bridges (including 57 on the Hāna Highway) located in six historic districts on four islands are either listed on or eligible for historic designation.
The Bridge Inventory recommended that HDOT develop a Programmatic Agreement to use the report to aid in consultation to facilitate and streamline the approval process for future construction projects and to prioritize certain “high preservation value” bridges for preservation treatment.
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation participated in the development of the inventory and concurred with its major findings, and also presented HDOT and its project team with a Preservation Commendation in 2014 for the effort.
Next Steps–Kauai’s Historic Bridges Forum:
The forum took the next step in the process by outlining the options for a programmatic approach and treatments for historic bridges.
HHF was joined by the Hanalei Roads Committee; representatives of the Kaua‘i Historic Preservation Review Commission, the Kaua‘i Department of Public Works; district engineers from HDOT (representing Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island and Maui districts), the State Historic Preservation Division, and the Federal Highway Administration. The SRI Foundation, whose mission is to enrich society by fostering historic preservation and improving its practice, facilitated.
Forum participants identified their goals, which included ensuring the structural safety and reliability of the bridges for transportation; retaining historic features and character; supporting community land use and design goals; improving efficiency and project delivery for capital improvements; and improving the consultation and communications processes between all of the parties.
Check back for updates!