HANA, Hawaii — The road along Alelele Point in East Maui reopened Tuesday after the completion of road stabilization work, according to a Maui County release. 

“The road closure has had a significant impact on the lives of residents in the East Maui and Kaupō areas who have used the road for daily travel between these rural areas for work, home, animals and family caretaking duties,” said Maui Mayor Richard Bissen. “I’m pleased the work is done, the area is in a better stabilized condition, and we can return access to our residents.”

The 1-mile road, which links the communities of Kipahulu and Kaupo, was closed on May 10 following rockfalls near Alelele Point that damaged vehicles and obstructed the roadway. 

Roadwork began on June 11. Maui County selected Prometheus Construction, Inc. to perform the emergency slope stabilization and repair work at Alelele Point. Crew members repelled along the 300-feet high slope to remove debris, including boulders, as large as ten feet in diameter. Heavy machinery was also used to move rocks, some weighing up to 22 tons. Crews removed about 2,300 tons of materials.

The reopening of the road was delayed by Tropical Storm Calvin, which postponed delivery of materials before Hawaiian Telcom completed the infrastructure reinstallation.