Kolekole Bridge closure for buses | Impact to service

Due to restrictions on Kolekole bridge and a detour route that is not viable for buses, we will adjust our bus schedule for Waimea and Hāmakua routes that utilize Hwy 19 to Daniel K. Inouye Highway.

Sept. 15, 2021

Contributed by Shaundor Chillingworth

This afternoon, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that the Kolekole Bridge has been restricted to vehicles weighing under 4 tons. The Roberts Hawaiʻi buses used for transportation exceed this amount at 12 to 14 tons.

As mentioned in our earlier message, the detour route is not an option for our buses due to the narrow and winding roads. So all buses from Laupāhoehoe to Waimea will be routed through Daniel K. Inouye (DKI) highway. The estimated timeline for repairs of the bridge is set at three-to-four months depending on the availability of materials, according to the DOT. Our goal now is to continue to provide service without major disruptions to the school day and minimize the impact to your keiki and ʻohana for this extended period of time. We anticipate heavy traffic as everyone that relies on Hwy 19 for daily transportation in this area will be affected and may also be re-routing through DKI.

Below you will find updated schedules for your bus stop and times that we are putting into place for tomorrow's service. Just a reminder that this Friday is a teacher workday so there is no school. We will assess how the schedule runs tomorrow (September 16), we will communicate any potential changes that may need to occur for next week's service over the weekend. We will continue to make necessary adjustments in the coming days and weeks.

We understand that the time changes will be an adjustment for all of us. If after seeing the schedule, you need to adjust your needs for bus service or would need to adjust the stop for pick-up and drop-off of your keiki, please contact our transportation coordinator, Ray Iyo, at raiyo@ksbe.edu to see if or how we can accommodate your ʻohana. There are limitations with bus seating and COVID-19 protocols we have in place, so we ask for your patience and understanding as we navigate this new challenge together.

Please travel safely. Mahalo!

See updated schedules for bus stops due to this necessary change due to the bridge work.