Kaua‘i Marathon and Half Marathon Traffic Advisory

Contributed photo

The 2018 Kaua‘i Marathon race organizers are gearing up for the 2018 Kaua‘i Marathon on Sunday, Sept. 2. The race begins at 6 a.m., and while traffic will flow in and around the Koloa, Po‘ipu, Lawa‘i and Kalaheo areas, there will be some lane and road closures between 5 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

To ensure the safety of both runners and drivers, organizers are asking everyone to exercise caution and patience when driving on the Southside on Sunday. The Kaua‘i Police Department and Blue Knight Security will monitor traffic flow throughout the courses. All times listed below are approximate.

Road Closures:

• Access into Koloa and Po‘ipu will be limited to Koloa Road and Omao Road until 6:30 a.m. From 6:30 a.m. until 8 a.m., there will be no inbound traffic other than emergency vehicles into Koloa and Po‘ipu. Pland and schedule accordingly.
• Po‘ipu Road will be closed from Kapili Road to the Koloa Bypass, (Ala Kinoiki) from 5:30 a.m. until 6:15 a.m.
• Ho‘onani Road will be closed from 5 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Lawa‘i Road to Kapili Road. Traffic will continue to flow in and out of the Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort via Kapili Road.
• Koloa Road inbound and outbound lanes from Highway 50 will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Lauoho Road, Waha Road and Pu‘u Roads will be closed to thru traffic from 7:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All residents living in this area are advised to use extreme caution.
• Omao Road from Highway 50 to Koloa Road will be closed to thru traffic from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. All residents living in this area are advised to use extreme caution.
• The Koloa Bypass (Ala Kinoiki), will be closed from 6 to 7:45 a.m.
• Maluhia Road both inbound and outbound to and from the Koloa Bypass through to Highway 50 will be closed to traffic from 6 to 8:15 a.m. All traffic on Maluhia and the Koloa Bypass (Ala Kinoiki) will return to normal shortly before 8:45 a.m.

Contributed photo

Partial Closures:

• Highway 50 from Maluhia west to Omao Road will be restricted to alternating one-way traffic in the mauka lane from 6:30 a.m. until approximately 8:30 a.m. Traffic flow will be monitored by KPD at both Maluhia and Omao Roads.
• Papalina Road from Waha to Pu‘u Road will be restricted to alternating one-way traffic in the mauka lane from 7:15 a.m. until 12 p.m. Traffic flow will be monitored by KPD at both ends.
• As runners retrace their steps via Papalina, Waha, Lauoho and Koloa Roads, the roads will re-open as indicated above once all of the runners have passed.
• Kukui‘ula Bypass (Ala Kalanikaumaka) will be closed from 6:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Outbound traffic from the Po‘ipu roundabout to Koloa Road will remain open.
• The Po‘ipu Roundabout will be heavily impacted and traffic will be slowed considerably from 6:45 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. as runners enter the roundabout from Kukui‘ula Bypass.
• Westbound Lawa‘i Road and Spouting Horn traffic will be re-routed through The Shops at Kukui‘ula.

In summary, traffic will flow in and out of all south shore regions, but it is recommended that travel in these areas on race day be limited from 5 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

For those visitors and residents needing to reach Lihu‘e Airport from the South Shore or Westside, plan at least one-and-a-half to two hours travel time. For more information and course maps, visit www.thekauaimarathon.com. For further information during race week (Aug. 28-Sept. 1), call the race office at 808-240-6525.