04-06-2014, 07:55 AM
On my way to Hilo at 7AM on 130 was diverted by police with no detour signage onto Pohaku Drive. Well yes you can drive to 40th then out via Ola'a but 40 that section is a riverbed and almost impassible. Most others also diverted would not know where or how to go. Also it's "private roads" no county maintenance. So if the cops and the county are suggesting as they did this morning that as an alternate "escape" route to 11 out of Puna wouldn't it be wise for the county to take over that route and pave it and maintain it rather than leave it to OLE and the proposed $300 a year for roads? If the volcano cuts off 130 around Ainaloa there would be an additional need for another route out of Puna. 130 was closed from 5:16AM to 9:59 AM per the HPD website. Had this been a weekday and school day imagine the mess; it was awful enough.