Workers digging along the shoulder of Farrington Highway near the Kahi Mohala campus in Ewa Beach uncovered what appeared to be an unexploded ordnance on Wednesday, triggering a shutdown of the highway in both directions while crews secured the scene. Motorists were urged to stay away from the area as authorities responded. Officials reported no injuries and released only limited details while the situation was being handled.
Traffic Alert and Highway Shutdown
The Honolulu Police Department confirmed the closure, and the Hawaii Department of Transportation issued a traffic alert asking drivers to avoid the stretch of Farrington Highway, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The ordnance was reported to have been found during a shoulder excavation near the Kahi Mohala behavioral health campus, and authorities had not released further information while crews remained on scene.
How Crews Usually Handle These Scares
As of Wednesday, it was not clear whether the Honolulu Police Department bomb squad or a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal team had been called in for this particular find. In similar incidents across the islands, police typically secure the area and then work with Army or federal EOD specialists to evaluate and remove suspicious devices, according to a release from the Hawaiʻi Police Department. A 2011 report from Hawaii News Now described a similar temporary closure of Farrington Highway after a suspected ordnance was brought to a Waianae fire station for inspection. In that case, military personnel later determined the item was not a live hazard.
Safety Reminders for the Public
State guidance urges residents to follow the “three R’s” if they come across a suspected munition: recognize, retreat and report. The advice is simple but strict, according to the Hawaii Department of Health’s Hazard Evaluation & Emergency Response office: do not touch or move the item, back away to a safe distance and call 911. Agencies also ask the public to give responders plenty of room to work and to follow all traffic instructions until officials declare the scene safe.
