(12-01-2022, 05:59 PM)VancouverIslander Wrote: Cheapest option is to let the lava take the Saddle Road, then rebuild what needs it. That said, after looking at the situation from various safe pull outs off the road, I'm not convinced the lava will read the road. It gets pretty flat out there and I think the road might be a bit higher than the low points the lava is heading towards. It would be great to have a 100' or 50' topo map of the saddle area. In any case, here's today:
Went to check out the flow last night about 11pm. Drove up to Mauna Kea State Park. Couldn't see a thing. Not even a red glow. But the traffic was a nightmare. The new viewing road was completely swamped with cars and no place to pull over. (even with nothing to see because of low clouds and fog). And lots of police everywhere. Not going again. I had a better view of the lava flow in 2018 from my home in HPP!
Wow. At 11pm no less. I thought it would have thinned out by then! Thanks for the update.
As far as the wonderful view of the fountain I had at the park on Tuesday night, I believe that one has died out. I went up on Wednesday night and it was not there anymore. I'm pretty sure it was not just a cloud obstructing it.
Since I was already there, I walked out to the "Eruption Viewing" area near Volcano house and Kilauea was just a red glow in the distance. I didn't drive out to the other viewing area near Chain of Craters road.
12-02-2022, 06:41 PM (This post was last modified: 12-02-2022, 06:44 PM by ironyak.)
(12-02-2022, 04:40 PM)Ccat Wrote: When was the last time Saddle Rd had to be diverted and rebuilt? (Just curious...)
The 1935-6 flow, which this flow is closely mirroring, was the most recent flow that impacted Saddle Road and hit right around Pu'u Huluhulu and down to the east. This USGS article has a succinct history of the flows near Saddle including this fun tidbit answering the ongoing question of why Saddle is located directly on areas known to be prone for lava inundation.
https://www.usgs.gov/news/volcano-watch-...ic-geology
"Past Milepost 22, road builders deliberately constructed Highway 200 atop the 1935–1936 ‘a‘ā flow. That's because rubbly ‘a‘ā is much easier than solid pāhoehoe to grade."
It seems to me that if you are intent on putting a road through an area that is prone to lava flows, in a lot of cases it would be best to put it right on top of the most recent flow. Especially in flat, level areas.
In these areas the flow tends to inflate and reach substantial thicknesses. So wouldn’t a subsequent flow tend to go alongside the previous one, rather than on top of it?
I know there are plenty of variables and these are just my ramblings, but don’t you think there might be more to the decision than “easier to grade”?
In 1943, the original Saddle Road was built as a gravel roadway first constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the US Army Corps of Engineers for access to the island’s interior in the event of a Japanese invasion during World War II. Then in 1949 the Saddle Road was completed as a paved road.
In other words the motive wasn't best alignment, but quickest, because it was a part of our response to Pearl Harbor...
12-02-2022, 09:31 PM (This post was last modified: 12-02-2022, 09:44 PM by HereOnThePrimalEdge.)
rubbly ‘a‘ā is much easier than solid pāhoehoe to grade." … Saddle Road was built as a gravel roadway first constructed … for access to the island’s interior
On a lava update yesterday Ken Hon said if the present flow moves to the west it will miss Saddle Road, which makes a 90 degree change in direction at that point and the route then curves into the lower flank of Mauna Kea, most likely keeping it above the flow. I can understand why the old road was built in the path requiring the least grading and quickest construction time. But should the new highway need realignment, building it on Mauna Kea side of the saddle would be beneficial in the long run.
BTW - does anyone else here use the designation DKI when referring to Saddle Road? Like the Honolulu TV broadcasters seem to prefer?
We went up early this morning, left Volcano at 4:00 and got to the turn off to the old Saddle road about an hour later. There are reduced speed limit signs, cones and a "street" light set up at both ends of the sectioned that is open for travel. There were plenty of people but still plenty of spots to pull over.
We stopped at three different places along the road for different vantage points, taking pictures and video at each spot and just watching in awe of the spectacular show of nature at it's finest. The weather was perfectly clear and chilly but we were prepared with layers. There was every kine people; tourist, local, families, kapuna. Everyone was behaving admirably with the exception of some overly exuberant commentary by a gal taking video. We moved on to another spot leaving her to her excitement.
We headed back down towards Hilo at around 6:30, tired but infused with a renewed respect and appreciation for this island we are lucky enough to call home.
I recommend the early morning over what sounds like an overcrowded nighttime visit. Also check the various webcams before leaving and on your way up.
In other words the motive wasn't best alignment, but quickest, because it was a part of our response to Pearl Harbor...
Ok, I’ll buy that. Perhaps my musings were more of a bonus than a reason?
does anyone else here use the designation DKI when referring to Saddle Road? Like the Honolulu TV broadcasters seem to prefer?
A friend from Oahu who is familiar with the Big Island contacted me yesterday and said he had heard that a major highway was being threatened. When I told him it was Saddle Road he finally knew which road it was.
In other words the motive wasn't best alignment, but quickest, because it was a part of our response to Pearl Harbor...
While it seems like just realigning the road up onto Mauna Kea 3/4th of a mile around Pu'u Huluhulu would avoid the lava inundation issue going forward, to actually get out of all the lava paths down from Mauna Loa, the road would have to shift 2-3 miles in some areas and reach Hilo north of the Wailuku River (see orange line on attached). Probably not in the budget compared to just having FEMA fix the road for us when the lava goes 'a'a cruisin.
