The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-07-15
PLAN FOR lao
VALLEY ROAD
IS APPROVED
Board of Supervisors Okehs
Work of County Engineer
and Authorizes Advertising
for Tenders.

Plans for the new lao Valley road
as prepared by County Engineer Paul
Low were approved by the board of
supervisors at the meeting of Friday
last and when accepted by the board
of public works tenders will be
sought. 1t is expected that bids car
be opened at the next meeting of the
board and if so the county engineer
hopes to see the road in sufficiently
traversable condition to take dele.
gates of the Worlds Press Congress
over it in October. Then one OF
Maui's attractions for sightseers that
has been approachable only to mixers
for nearly six years will be again ac-
cessible.
New Crossing Chosen
The new lao Valley road leaves the
old road that was used up to 1915 just
above where the bridge went out and
follows for some distance the road
that is at present in use. 1t continues
on up the Wailuku side of the stream
beyond where the stream is now
forded and crosses the stream by a
bridge 72O feet above the point where
the old bridge went out and 400 feet
In selecting the point for crossing
a narrow part of the stream bed was
selected and at the same time one
which avoids hard grades at either
end. The bridge will be supported
by piers of concrete base and rubble
above with frame superstructure, is
to be of three spans, one of SO, one
Of 60 and one of 20 feet, the longer
a f.
ments and two sets of piers, 8 feet
clearance above low water mark.
From the bridge the road proceeds
up the valley over the wooded flat
below the Field place, past that place
tage, at an elevation of 967 feet above
sea level. For the last 700 feet the
Needle is in full view from the road.
From it's end there is a trail that
leads to the foot of the Needle and
and proceeds to the uplands of the
valley.
Old Road Used
Using the old road where available
will save large expense and is nee.
essary to keep within the $4,000 ap
preparation. There is some new road
to be made on the Wailuku side and
some on the other side. The old road
where used, is to be widened where
necessary and the worst grades elm.
mated. From the point where the
1915 road is abandoned to the end
in front of the ditch tenders cottage
is 6025 feet. The heaviest grade is
10 IL percent for distance of about
200 feet. In two or three other places
a grade of s percent will be encoun.
tered, but it will not average more
than 6 percent, probably less.
Objections Met
Proposals to cross the streara by a
concrete ford were abandoned The
county engineer said the difference
in cost would be slight, If anything
in favor of bridge; grades at the ar
proaches would be avoided, and he be
lieved it would be difficult to keep
the floor of the ford free from boul
ders Others contended that the ford
would be unsafe, that parties cross
ing faced the danger of being shut
off by sudden rise in the stream
and of having to wait on the other
side until the water should fall again
Objections to the argument that there
might be difficulty in securing suf
ficiently firm base on which the piers
will rest were also met, even though
the bed of the stream is largely boul
ders.
Another objection that was met
was in regard to frame superstruc
ture of the bridge. The board has
constructed no such bridges for sew
eral years past. but concrete bridge
could not be built with the money
available, and the road will not be a
main travelled thoroughfare, will be
especially for sightseers and the
bridge will not be called upon to sus
tain heavy traffic.
The road will be gravel surfaced
six inches at the center.