November 17-20 Closure for Rockfall Mitigation

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will close the historic Diamond Head State Monument from Monday, November 17 through Thursday, November 20 to complete rock scaling of potential rockfall hazards above the Kahala entrance tunnel to the crater.

“To ensure public safety, the tunnel, and the entire park will have to be closed while this work takes place,” said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson. The park entrance at Diamond Head Road will be closed to all vehicle and foot traffic.

On Thursday, November 20 the contractor will do a final sweep of the look-out trail, general clean-up and demobilization of the park. Diamond Head State Monument, including the summit hiking trail, will reopen at 6 a.m. on Friday November 21, as scheduled.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources closed the historic summit trail at Diamond Head State Monument, for a month - from Monday, October 20, 2008 to Thursday, November 20, 2008 – to conduct maintenance of the slopes and rock scaling of potential rockfall hazards along the trail and above the entrance tunnel. The contractor for this maintenance project is Prometheus Construction. The total construction contract is for $384,000.

The maintenance of these areas is the first phase of the state’s planned upgrades to the historic summit trail at Diamond Head State Monument.

Subsequent phases will include the Diamond Head Trail Improvements Project, now currently in design, which will improve sections of the trail that have deteriorated due to usage, age and weathering. Improvements will address the narrow corridors and other trail sections that have deteriorated; and install safer stairways and wider walkways, install slope stabilization and rockfall mitigation measures, and construct a loop trail connecting the Summit Lookout and the rest-stop landing at the top of the pedestrian tunnel.

Future phases of the Trail Improvement Project will also decrease hiker congestion on the Summit Trail by expanding the existing trail for safer walkways, stairways, and lookouts.

Future phases of the rockfall mitigation and slope stabilization project will include work along Diamond Head Road and Poka Place.

For more information, please contact State Parks at 587-0300, or visit the State Parks website at www.hawaiistateparks.org.