The Hawaii Department of Transportation, with assistance from the Federal Highway Administration, is helping the County of Maui construct an emergency stormwater capture system in Lahaina to reduce the environmental impact from silt, ash, and other disaster debris from entering local storm drainage systems and, eventually, the ocean.
[Above photo by Daniel Dennison for the State of Hawaii]
This project is one of several the agency is helping with as part of the overall recovery effort from the wildfires on West Maui that engulfed parts of the island region in late summer.
The Hawaii DOT noted in a statement that this $40 million stormwater capture project, which includes design, construction management and continued management of the system through 2024, is funded through the FHWA Emergency Relief program.
The area covered by this system includes the entire length of Front Street; Honoapiʻilani Highway between its southern connection with Front Street and Wahikuli Wayside Park; and stormwater inlets in Leialiʻi Hawaiian Home Land, Kapunakea, Mala, the Puʻunoa Beach area, Lahaina Town, Lunaville, and Waineʻe.
The wildfires started on August 8 and President Biden declared them a major disaster on August 10, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires.
