Mauna Loa erupting

[TomK]

The reasons why the DKI was constructed over the 1843 and 1935 lava flows by Puu Huluhulu is two fold. They wanted to keep the alignment within the existing right of way so HHL homesteads wouldn't be impacted and lessen the environmental impact. The latter is largely the reason  most of the rest of the highway followed the existing alignment.

There is exceptions to this though:

m.m 35-41 was realigned to bypass the PTA cantonment area
m.m 41-51 was realigned to largely avoid the PTA's west side training area
m.m 29-35 was realigned to move the highway out of the PTA's firing range.

The latter segment required the Federal government to establish new Palila nesting areas on the northwest
side of Maunakea to make up for the lost habitat between m.m 29-35.

Interesting, thank you for a reasoned and thoughtful response. However, this is all on the west side of the Summit Access Road. Are you aware of a reason the DKI wasn't built a little farther north at that point to avoid the loss of access to Mauna Kea?