U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg started his Hawaii tour Wednesday on Maui, discussing with residents, local leaders and federal officials the Lahaina wildfire recovery efforts.
FEMA led a tour through the fire-ravaged Lahaina, where Buttigieg saw homes devestated by the fire, an active debris removal site, and Front Street. He also saw the harbormasters' house and ferry terminal, which the U.S. Department of Transportation is helping to rebuild, according to a news release.
He also received updates from Hawaii DOT and USDOT’s Federal Highway Administration on infrastructure projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including a realignment project for Honoapiilani Highway.
With $45 million in federal funds, the Honoapiilani Highway realignment project will move 4.5 miles of the highway from Ukumehame to Launiupoko inland, which will help protect it from sea level rise and coastal erosion.
While on Maui, Buttigieg, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, U.S. Sen Mazie Hirono, U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor and HDOT Director Ed Sniffen held a press conference on the Biden Administration’s investment in resilient infrastructure.
“The recovery effort in Lāhainā is making good progress, but there is much more work left to do,” said Senator Schatz, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, in a statement. “Debris removal has come a long way and is on track for completion. A temporary school for students is also on the verge of opening on April 1. But housing continues to be the most pressing priority and we need to urgently build units to provide survivors with long-term certainty. The federal government has and will continue to play a key role in supporting the recovery for as long as it takes and helping get people back on their feet.”
Schatz added, “As we do that, we’re going to continue fighting to get federal resources to make infrastructure on Maui and across Hawai‘i safer, more accessible, and more resilient.”
On Thursday, Buttigieg went to Oahu, where Schatz took Buttigieg on the Skyline. The U.S. Senator shared photos on X, formerly known as Twitter, of the two men riding in the driverless metro system.
Buttigieg also receved a tour of Honolulu Harbor and saw ongoing investments in the port of Honolulu. After that, he went to a blessing ceremony for the start of construction at the Kapalama Container Terminal, which is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. USDOT's Port Infrastructure Development Program gave the project a $40 million grant.
Before leaving Oahu, Buttigieg toured the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and saw projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Last week, it was announced that $22 million would be going to the airport via the Airport Terminals Program.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information from a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. (Feb. 16, 2024)
