Hawai`i Roads - CR 31

CR 31, Hana Highway


CR 31 is the only county route in Hawai`i that violates the numbering rules - all others are three digits and do not duplicate a state highway number. Of course, that means that this was meant to be part of HI 31 (and part to the west even has the same name, Pi`ilani Highway), and I describe why/how on that page, but it never materialized. So just add a number to the end.


Heading north into Hana and the end of CR 31. Had the two 31's been connected, HI 31 would soon seamlessly hand off to HI 360. The handoff is still seamless, occurring somewhere in the small hamlet of Hana.


SB in the Mokae area. Many of the one-lane bridges are as non-descript as the Kahawaiokapiha bridge, with the bridge name stamped onto but not into the side.


The only sign with a 31 on it, NB at one of the only intersecting roads, and the only one that could conceivably confuse traffic. You don't want to follow it; it has a bad curve on it, not to mention bad grammar (slowly).


A whole bunch more one-lane bridges, including the Papahawahawa bridge and the dying Pa`ihi bridge. There are apparently waterfalls here, but the temporary bridge doesn't give any kind of view.


A NB look at the Pa`ihi bridge, with netting underneath to catch falling concrete chunks. Won't hold the whole bridge, though. It was damaged by an October 2006 earthquake and still hasn't been replaced.


One more one-lane bridge to go, and then we stopped to take photos of a waterfall (see the scenery page, linked at bottom, photos 7-8). I also snuck in three views of the bridge - southbound, east from the falls, and northbound.


Rare for this road, a wall is needed to keep it on the cliffside. Then on to one of the most legible bridges (Haha-something, must be funny), since the date is in relief on the side instead of incuse (cut in). Many of the bridges on CR 31 were constructed in 1910.


SB (first photo), then NB looking left and right, and finally from the depths of the Seven Sacred Pools, a.k.a. `Ohe`o Gulch. (Hawaiian place names tend to leave out the `okinas when signed or, in this case, stenciled.) This is the only bridge I recall seeing with the weight limit stamped into the side. More Seven Sacred Pools photos can be found on the scenery page linked below.


Two more bridges between `Ohe`o and the barriers marking the end of the road for all but locals (due to earthquake/rockfall damage). The Kukui`ula Bridge looks like it was built in 1939, which isn't very clear from this angle - since other bridges date to 1910, it could have been replaced in 1989. The problem is, the road closure is actually just before the bridge, so I had to use a zoom lens to the far side to catch even this much.

Continue northwest on Hana Highway via HI 360
Scenery along CR 31 (including the Seven Sacred Pools)
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