HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	63
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the department of land and natural resources and department of transportation to determine and clearly define jurisdictional responsibility for honopou bridge and take coordinated action to address related safety, wildfire risk, and emergency access concerns.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, Honopou Bridge, located along Honopou Road in east Maui, provides critical access for residents, agricultural operators, cultural practitioners, and emergency responders serving properties makai of the bridge; and

 

     WHEREAS, Honopou Road traverses parcels of mixed ownership, and a 2007 report issued pursuant to Act 107, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006 (Act 107), identified Honopou Bridge as being situated within a parcel owned by the State and under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and

 

     WHEREAS, the bridge was originally designed in 1990 for the Department of Land and Natural Resources with a load capacity of approximately five tons; and

 

     WHEREAS, following community safety concerns and legislative review, the Department of Land and Natural Resources obtained updated structural engineering advice and concluded that, without improvements or maintenance, the vehicle load rating could be increased to thirteen tons if vehicle speeds were kept below five miles per hour; and

 

     WHEREAS, Act 107 further required the Department of Transportation to review safety issues and determine the cost of strengthening the bridge to allow the safe passage of the Maui County Fire Department; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation reported that the bridge was originally designed as an emergency replacement for a failed wooden bridge in 1994 for significantly lighter loads, approximately five tons, which is below the weight of modern fire apparatus and other emergency response vehicles, and recommended increasing the load capacity to approximately twenty tons; and

 

     WHEREAS, east Maui communities are geographically isolated and face heightened vulnerability to wildfire, flooding, severe weather, and medical emergencies; and

 

     WHEREAS, recent catastrophic wildfires in Maui have underscored the urgent need to ensure reliable ingress and egress routes for evacuation and emergency response; and

 

     WHEREAS, limitations on bridge load capacity may restrict or delay fire engines, water tenders, ambulances, law enforcement vehicles, and utility repair trucks, thereby increasing risk to life, property, and critical infrastructure; and

 

     WHEREAS, pursuant to chapter 127A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the State has a duty to ensure adequate emergency management and disaster preparedness to protect public health and safety; and

 

     WHEREAS, article XI, section 1, of the Hawaii State Constitution establishes the public trust doctrine and affirms the State's obligation to protect and preserve natural resources and related public interests; and

 

     WHEREAS, prolonged jurisdictional ambiguity has contributed to delays in implementing structural upgrades necessary to ensure adequate emergency response capacity for Honopou Bridge; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Transportation are urged to determine and clearly define jurisdictional responsibility for Honopou Bridge and take coordinated action to address related safety, wildfire risk, and emergency access concerns; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Transportation are urged to:

 

     (1)  Conduct meaningful community outreach, including public meetings, stakeholder consultations, and community surveys of affected residents and landowners in east Maui, to gather input related to the Honopou Bridge on safety concerns, emergency access needs, wildfire evacuation considerations, and preferred infrastructure solutions;

 

     (2)  Conduct or update a comprehensive assessment of the Honopou Bridge's structural condition, load capacity, and wildfire evacuation access needs, including community input regarding the need for and desirability of improved access;

 

     (3)  Identify any current restrictions affecting emergency vehicle access;

 

     (4)  Develop and implement a coordinated repair, rehabilitation, or replacement plan sufficient to safely accommodate modern emergency response vehicles;

 

     (5)  Identify estimated costs and potential funding sources, including capital improvement project funding and federal disaster mitigation or resilience programs; and

 

     (6)  Submit a report of their findings and implementation timeline to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Director of Transportation.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Transportation; Honopou Bridge; Jurisdiction; Safety; Wildfire Risk; Emergency Access