UPDATE:
Following the Friday morning collapse of a footbridge connecting Moku‘ola, or Coconut Island, to the Hilo shoreline near Lili‘uokalani Gardens, Hawai‘i County is still assessing repair options and working to address safety concerns.
“Moku‘ola is an important recreational and cultural gathering place for the Hilo community and our county is dedicated to restoring access as soon as it is feasible,” Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda said in a statement provided to Aloha State Daily. “We are assessing our options for repairing the bridge and we will be working closely with all the necessary state and federal agencies to ensure that this project moves forward as seamlessly as possible. We will provide updates as they become available, and we ask the public to stay out of the closed area for their safety.”
Hawai‘i County spokesperson Tom Callis told Aloha State Daily by email Friday afternoon that the county has hired a structural engineering firm via emergency procurement to address immediate safety concerns.
Their assessment will help determine the overall scope of the project, which will help the county develop a cost estimate, he noted.
According to Callis, the bridge showed visual signs of deterioration.
“As a result, the county was in the process of negotiating a design contract for either the rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge,” he said. “That process continues to move forward.”
When asked whether anyone was present on the island or the bridge when it collapsed, Callis said the county is only aware of its maintenance crews being present as the park was closed to the public due to high surf.
Previously:
A portion of a footbridge connecting Moku‘ola to the Hilo shoreline near Lili‘uokalani Gardens collapsed this morning, sending a Hawai‘i County employee to the hospital.
The collapse happened around 7:40 a.m. Friday, Nov. 14, as a mini excavator operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation was crossing the bridge, the county said in an announcement. A single Parks and Recreation employee was transported by medics to Hilo Benioff Medical Center for assessment.
The county says that the cause of the collapse is under investigation.
Also known as Coconut Island, Moku‘ola is closed until further notice and the public is asked to avoid the area.
Aloha State Daily has reached out to the county for more information.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
