Tourists and isle residents might have only a few more months to snap pictures of a lava-covered Cemetery Road.
Tourists and isle residents might have only a few more months to snap pictures of a lava-covered Cemetery Road.
Hawaii County put restoration of the narrow country road in Pahoa out to bid, with work expected to begin in late September or early October.
Lava crossed the road, which connects Apa‘a Street and Kaohe Homesteads Road, on Oct. 25 as it entered Pahoa and began threatening homes.
The location became a tourist attraction after the lava flow from Kilauea’s Pu‘u ‘O‘o vent became inactive in Pahoa in March and the county opened the area for viewing.
Casey Yanagihara, project engineer, said the lava rock has cooled; about 3,500 cubic yards of rock will need to be removed. Afterward, the road will be repaved.
The project, estimated at $200,000, will take up to 40 working days to complete, he said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover 75 percent of the cost.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.