Starting on Tuesday, beachgoers will need to hit pause on visiting Isaac Kepoʻokalani Hale Beach Park in Puna, as the Big Island Department of Parks and Recreation is shutting it down for a bit of a facelift. A heavy-duty crane is set to dredge up the remnants of Kīlauea's fiery 2018 display from the park's Pohoiki Boat Ramp.
While your beach blankets will have to gather dust until further notice, the cleanup crew, courtesy of Goodfellow Bros., LLC, will be busy playing sandcastle with a whopping $9.28 million at their disposal. And if everything goes according to plan, they'll wrap up just in time for the Thanksgiving turkey, per details KHON2 shared. The DLNR has been gunning for this dredging action to get rid of the sandy and lava leftovers that have put a wrench in boating activities. Mayor Kimo Alameda weighed in on the situation, "Once completed, the dredging project at Pohoiki will restore boat access that is vital for the Puna community. This temporary park closure is necessary to ensure the project is done safely and effectively."
The curtains close on the park just as the crane rolls up its sleeves for the heavy lifting from September 3 to October 31. DLNR is talking a big safety game here, nodding to public protection from all the aerial lava debris action. "This project is critical to restore ocean access for the Puna community fishers, boaters and, emergency rescue personnel," DLNR Engineer Finn McCall told Hawaii News Now. "Temporary closure of the park and boat ramp is important to ensure safety during crane dredging operations that will be carrying heavy loads of lava debris overhead."
Ashley Kierkiewicz, a member of the Hawaiʻi County Council, chimed in too, showing some love for the local seafaring crowd who've had to play Marco Polo with the ocean since Mother Nature had her moment four years ago. "Our local lawaiʻa have waited years for the boat ramp to be usable again, often making long detours just to access the ocean," she remarked while emphasizing the balance between ramp restoration and public safety, according to KHON2.
