WAIMEA BAY, Hawaii (KHON2) — A temporary retaining rock wall placed Sunday, Feb. 5, along Kamehameha Highway was smashed by another rockslide on Monday, Feb. 6. 

The retaining wall was placed after four large rocks came down near Waimea Valley; one of those rocks crossed Kamehameha Highway. 

That portion of the highway was closed for most of Sunday as contractors scaled down the slope and checked for more loose rocks. The work continued through Monday, and the DOT said the rocks that came crashing down on the temporary barrier were due to the scaling of the slope by contractors.  

State Sen. Brenton Awa said he is confident the Department of Transportation will resolve the issue. 

Awa said, “Once the DOT gets the emergency work cleared, they could do it real quick. We have full confidence in them. The wait in this will be for the actual material, so we heard the fencing could take time to get shipped in.”

A USGS landslide susceptibility map of Oahu shows areas near the mountain range at moderate risk, while certain areas like Waimea Valley are at high risk of landslides.

USGS Geologist Rex Baum said the rain poses hazardous conditions in those areas.

“People need to pay attention to and take it seriously,” Baum said. “Luckily, the danger lasts only a relatively short time. Not something you have to worry about when the weather is dry.”

The DOT said they plan to extend a rock retaining fence along Kamehameha Highway, but the timeline for that project is still to be determined. 

Another temporary barrier will be placed once the scaling is completed by the contractors. The DOT said there will be a full closure of Kamehameha Highway near Waimea Bay on Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 9 PM to midnight for debris removal and barrier installation.