Hawaii Route 560 marker

Hawaii Route 560

Kuhio Highway
Route 560 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by HDOT
Length10.01 mi (16.11 km)
ExistedLate 1960s–present
History2004: Added to the NRHP
Major junctions
East end Route 56 in Princeville
West endDead ends at Ha'ena State Park
Location
CountryUnited States
StateHawaii
CountiesKauai
Highway system
← Route 550→ Route 570
Kaua'i Belt Road--North Shore section
Bridge over Hanalei River, November 2009
Hawaii Route 560 is located in Hawaii
Hawaii Route 560
LocationRoute 560
Princeville, Hawaii
United States
Coordinates22°12′43″N 159°31′40″W / 22.21194°N 159.52778°W / 22.21194; -159.52778
Built1900
ArchitectJ.H. Moragne, R.L. Garlinghouse, et al.
NRHP reference No.03001048[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 11, 2004

Route 560, or Kaua'i Belt Road-North Shore section, is a ten-mile (16 km) scenic road on the northern shore of the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii. The entire belt road is signed as the Kuhio Highway. Hawaii Route 56 was once signed on this route before it was downgraded to become Hawaii Route 560 in the late 1960s.[2] The Kuhio Highway is named after Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole, the second non-voting Congressional Delegate from territorial Hawaii.

Route description

Route 560 eastbound between Hanalei and Princeville

Kuhio Highway ends its Route 56 designation in Princeville. The road drops in elevation heading toward the Hanalei River with lookout points giving views of the river valley and the northwestern shore of Kauaʻi. It then goes through the only major town on this route, Hanalei, and past Hanalei Bay. It follows a foot trail used by ancient Hawaiians. An early record is given in the 1849 diary of William DeWitt Alexander, who lived at the Waiʻoli mission, which is still along the road. William Tufts Brigham recorded boats used to cross the rivers in 1865. The Hanalei Pier is just north of the road on the bay. At one time the valley was home to rice fields, and the Haraguchi Rice Mill is one of several along the river.[3]

The road is narrow at times and features 11 one-lane bridges, with the first five constructed in 1912. County engineers J. H. Moragne and R. L. Garlinghouse supervised building the bridges and paving through the 20th century.[3]

Many of these bridges have restricted weight limits and some are wooden.[4] Traffic must yield at these bridges and it is customary to allow the greater traffic to cross first, or after five to seven cars have passed, to allow to the other side to pass.[5] The road becomes narrower with each passing mile as the Nā Pali Coast begins to inch closer to the coast. The road dead-ends at Haʻena State Park.

History

In the 1960s, there were plans to extend the road to Route 550, allowing one to circumnavigate the entire island, but they were dropped due to environmental concerns and lack of traffic demand.[6] The Hawaii Department of Transportation was planning to replace the bridges with two-lane bridges, but the plan was abandoned in 1987. The area is popular for films, although they can cause traffic congestion since there are no alternate routes.[7]

Instead, a massive renovation project began for the Hanalei River bridge, promoted by a community preservation group with the Hawaii Department of Transportation. A Pratt truss was built as a replica of the original 1912 one-lane structure.[8] The new bridge was officially dedicated in November 2003. A 1960s structure under the roadway supports the heavier weight of modern traffic.[9] Route 560 was added on February 11, 2004, to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii as site 03001048.[1]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Kauai County.

LocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Princeville0.000.00 Route 56Eastern terminus of Route 560
​10.0116.11Haʻena State ParkWestern terminus of Route 560
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ How did Hawaii's route number system evolve into its present form?
  3. 1 2 Dawn E. Duensing (April 8, 2002). "Kaua'i Belt Road (North Shore section) nomination form". National Register of Historic Places. U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  4. ↑ HI 560 Bridge Log
  5. ↑ One Lane Bridge Crossing the Hanalei River
  6. ↑ Why can't you drive all the way around Kauai?
  7. ↑ "Bad timing cited for filming in Hanalei". Kauai Garden Island News. April 23, 2010. Archived from the original on April 27, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  8. ↑ Chris Cook (May 15, 2003). "Robeson, Wilcox honored for preserving Hanalei Bridge". Kauai Garden Island News. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Renovated Hanalei Bridge officially blessed". Kauai Garden Island News. November 9, 2003.
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