Kaukau'ai Bridge, Spanning Kaukau'ai Gulch on Hana Highway (County Route 31), Kipahulu, Maui County, HI
Summary
See also HAER No. HI-75, Hana Belt Road, for additional documentation.
Significance: The Kaukau`ai Bridge is a contributing element to the Hana Highway Historic District and is one of fifty-nine bridges and numerous culverts constructed along this route between 1908 and 1947. The bridge and roadway achieve state and local significance in the areas of engineering, transportation, commerce, and social history under criteria A and C. Kaukau`ai Bridge was the first open-spandrel arch bridge on Maui and is an excellent example of early reinforced-concrete bridge construction in Hawai`i. Open-spandrel concrete arch bridges demonstrated sophisticated engineering and marked the evolution of concrete technology toward lighter, yet larger, structures. The bridge is a product of the Territorial Loan Fund program (ca. 1911-1915), and represents the County's investment in permanent improvements requiring the mobilization of skilled labor and significant public funds. The construction of a road and bridges to Hana between 1900 and 1947 opened East Maui to settlement, agricultural enterprises, and tourism. The Hana Belt Road retains the highest concentration of unaltered and stylistically consistent historic bridges in Hawai`i.
Survey number: HAER HI-70
Building/structure dates: 1941 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 01000615
Tags
Date
Contributors
Location
Source
Copyright info