Akoni Pule Highway
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The ‘Akoni Pule Highway is the name for most of Hawai‘i State Highway [270], the main route along the North Kohala Coast on the Island of Hawai‘i from Kawaihae to ‘Upolu Point and then on to Pololū Valley Lookout.
- TOTAL MILES = 27.0 (43.5kM)
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[edit] History
Prior to the 1970s, the only means of driving to North Kohala District was along the winding, narrow Kohala Mountain Road [25]. The Hawai‘i DOT already had plans for a coastal Route 11 along the Kohala Peninsula in the early-1960s to connect with Routes 25 and 27 in Hāwī. However, about the only action taken over the next ten years was the reässignment of highway shield numbers and the appointment of Route 270 to the proposed highway.
Akoni Pule, the State legislator who represented North Kohala, pushed relentlessly for a safer alternative to Kohala Mountain Road [250] and a second access to the “twin” towns of Hāwī and Kapa‘au. He was also instrumental in providing the necessary state and federal funds to complete construction. The new road was dedicated in his honour in July 1973.
[edit] Kawaihae Road
Although Kawaihae Road begins in the town of Waimea as part of the Hawai‘i Belt Road, it is at the “T” intersection near MILE 67, where State Highway 19 turns onto Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, that the beginning of Route 270 is found. The first green mile marker on Kawaihae Road is MILE 2 just past the “Queen K,” with the first two miles (3.2kM) being absorbed into Highway 19 when it was reäligned in 1975.
Further down is Samuel Spencer Beach Park, a popular spot with a large sandy beach, shaded grassy areas, picnic tables and barbecue grills. Adjacent to the park is Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, the temple built by Kamehameha I in 1790-91 and dedicated to the war god Kū. Kū was pleased with the dedication and sacrifice made, and allowed Kamehameha I to wage several subsequent battles using Western military strategy and weapons to extend his control over all Hawaiian Islands. Also at this site are the smaller Mailekini Heiau and the submerged Hale o Kapuni Heiau.
Passing MILE 3, the next feature is Kawaihae Harbour, built in 1959 as a fuel depot, shipping terminal and military landing site. The small town surrounding the port features a number of restaurants, shops and art galleries, as well as a popular surfing and canoeing spot.
Route 270 branches right onto ‘Akoni Pule Highway at the “λ” intersection fronting the harbour (Kawaihae Road continues straight on the former Route 269 spur for another 1,000ft/305m).
- TOTAL MILES = 1.5 (2.4kM)
[edit] ‘Akoni Pule Highway
The “λ” intersection in Kawaihae marks the beginning of ‘Akoni Pule Highway. It starts as a narrow two-lane street but becomes wider, with higher speeds, once past the Kā‘ei Hana II industrial park.
The terrain is dry and rocky since this area is in the rain shadow of Mauna Kea and the Kohala Mountains. Average annual rainfall is from four-to-seven inches (10-18cM) and wildfires are not uncommon here. The cobalt colour of the Pacific Ocean provides a dramatic backdrop for the gated communities of Kohala Ranch and Kohala Waterfront.
‘Akoni Pule Highway crosses into North Kohala District near MILE 6 and continues along the rocky coastline with only an occasional dirt road leading mauka into rangelands or makai providing access to favoured fishing spots. Just before the MILE 14 marker is the entrance to Lapakahi State Historical Park, site of an ancient ahupua‘a and a 1968 archæological discovery.
The next point-of-interest is Māhukona Park, an abandoned harbour once used by the adjacent Kohala Sugar Mill. This was also the terminus for the Hawaiian Railroad Company, Ltd., a twenty-mile (32kM) long, three-foot (91cM) gauge track that brought sugarcane from plantations to waiting steamships. The waters are clear and perfect for snorkeling around discarded mill equipment and even a shipwreck.
As ‘Akoni Pule Highway begins a long, sweeping right curve near MILE 15, it moves away from the coast and the landscape takes on a different character: the grass is greener, the trees become more abundant, and the air is cooler as the trade winds are able to bring more precipitation to this area.
This is a good time to insert a caveat lector: It is highly recommended that drivers strictly adhere to the speed limit signs in North Kohala. It is an interesting juxtaposition to be in a district with such a low crime rate that the police have more time to attend to traffic violations!
Across from the MILE 20 marker is ‘Upolu Point (Airport) Road which leads to ‘Upolu Airport and provides access (via a rough unpaved 4×4 road) to Mo‘okini Heiau and the birthplace of Kamehameha the Great.
The small hamlet of Hāwī centres on the crossroads of Hāwī Road [250] and ‘Akoni Pule Highway [270] just beyond MILE 21. It is hard to believe but this quiet town and its neighbouring villages were once home to thousands of people in the early 20th Century. No less that 56 general stores, owned and operated by first-generation Asian immigrants, were established in the vicinity and a handful of these businesses still are in operation.
Since there are no public roads past Kynnersley Road that connect to the rest of the Island, Route 270 becomes, in a sense, a 6½ mile (10.5kM) long cul-de-sac. A short drive further down ‘Akoni Pule Highway is the village of Kapa‘au. Many public services are based here, including police and fire stations, a hospital, schools and a civic centre. In front of the latter stands the original Statue of King Kamehameha the Great that was once lost in a shipwreck off South America in 1880 but then recovered and sent to Kapa‘au 32 years later.
The road resembles a country lane more than a highway as it passes the former plantation camps that dot the North Kohala Coast. There are three one-lane bridges: two cross gulches midway through the horseshoe curves and the other at MILE 26. Caution needs to be observed and obey the yield signs. There is a beautiful county park with a picnic pavillion and a gazebo overlooking Kēōkea Bay at the end of Kēōkea Beach Road.
At MILE 28.9, the ‘Akoni Pule Highway comes to an abrupt end at the Pololū Valley Scenic Point. It is a tight turnaround on a downhill slope with a lot of foot traffic so caution is advised. There is a small parking area here but respect the kapu signs on the adjacent private properties. The trailhead to Pololū is at the end of the asphalt.
- TOTAL MILES = 25.5 (41.1kM)
[edit] Junctions
State Highways are marked as [××] whilst County funded roads are with (××). Former or unmarked routes are indicated by an asterisk.
- HIGHWAY 270
| Mile | Town |  |
Street Name | Point(s) of Interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kawaihae | [19] | Kawaihae Road / Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway | Kona/Kohala Coast Resorts |
| 3 | Kawaihae | (269)* | Kawaihae Road | Pua Kailima o Kawaihae Cultural Surf Park |
| 20 | Hīkāpōloa | (271)* | ‘Upolu Point Road | ‘Upolu Airport, Mo‘okini Heiau |
| 21 | Hāwī | [250] | Hāwī Road | Art galleries, shops, restaurants, Kohala Mountain Road |
| 22 | Honomaka‘u | Kynnersley Road | ||
| 23 | Kapa‘au | Kapa‘au Road | Kamehameha Statue, shops | |
| 28.9 | Niuli‘i | END [270] | Pololū Valley Overlook | |
