Starting in June, Maui residents can expect traffic delays as the county moves 400,000 tons of wildfire debris from Olowalu to the Central Maui Landfill. The debris will be transported during daylight hours over five months, using up to 50 trucks making four round trips daily. The size of the debris is roughly equivalent to five football fields stacked five stories high. Mayor Richard Bissen said, “We ask for the continued kōkua of our residents and visitors to ensure the transfer of Lahaina’s wildfire debris is done safely and respectfully,” according to the County of Maui.
Construction at the Permanent Disposal Site is expected to be completed in early June, after which debris moving will begin. Trucks will travel a 19-mile route from the Temporary Debris Storage site in Olowalu, mainly on Honoapiʻilani and Kūihelani Highways, with some use of old cane haul roads. Drivers are advised not to pass or tailgate the debris trucks. Traffic intersections will be improved, and flaggers will be used to manage safety. Debris at Temporary Debris Storage will be wrapped in industrial plastic and wetted to reduce dust, and dust monitoring stations will be set up at Temporary Debris Storage and downwind from the Permanent Disposal Site, as reported by the County of Maui.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is committed to safely and efficiently executing this critical phase of the recovery with our County, State and Federal partners,” Lt. Col. Adrian Biggerstaff said. “We are implementing rigorous protocols at every stage of the debris transport process, from Olowalu to the Central Maui Landfill, that will help us get the job done safely and with the utmost respect for the Lahaina community." The cleanup follows debris removal from 1,538 Lahaina properties damaged by the wildfire. In December 2024, Maui County approved 79 acres for the Permanent Disposal Site, providing about ten years of landfill capacity. For more information, visit www.MauiRecovers.org/debristransfer or call the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Debris Hotline at (877) 214-9117, as stated by the County of Maui.
