Kolekole Bridge disruption: Emergency weight limit impacts emergency responders, truckers, mass transit

State Sen. Lorraine Inouye on Friday said the state Department of Transportation is declaring the area of Hawaii Belt Road near Kolekole Bridge a “traffic emergency zone.” “What that means is, they can do the work in a shorter period of time,” said Inouye, vice chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Committee, who represents the district where the bridge is located. “It also allows the department to use other sources of funding” instead of depending only on DOT’s budget, she said. Inouye thanked Gov. David Ige and DOT officials for the declaration, which she said was made because “the structural engineer … determined the structure to be unsafe due to the advanced deterioration and advanced corrosion of various steel (trusses).” “They are currently preparing the repairs to restore the integrity of the structure,” she said.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Fire damages Hawaiian Beaches house

An early Saturday morning fire at a Hawaiian Beaches house the Hawaii Fire Department said “appeared to be an abandoned structure with squatters” caused an estimated $60,000 in damage. Seven units responded to the 1:43 a.m. alarm. The first unit arrived on scene at the corner of Heepali Street and South Puni Makai Loop 10 minutes later to find the single-story residential structure with carport fully engulfed in flames. The carport collapsed after the arrival of firefighters, according to the department. The fire was reported under control at 2:03 a.m. and extinguished at 3 a.m.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Honolulu firefighters assist female, 64, who suffered head injury while hiking Diamond Head

The Honolulu Fire Department responded to the Diamond Head State Monument on Saturday to assist a woman who fell while hiking with family members. HFD said it received a 911 call at 9:01 a.m. Saturday with a request to help a hiker in distress on the Diamond Head Trail. Five units staffed with about 16 personnel responded and arrived at the monument’s parking lot 10 minutes later, and firefighters immediately ascended the trail while simultaneously establishing a command presence and landing zone within the crater. Contact with the 64-year-old patient was initially made at 9:26 a.m., where HFD discovered an off-duty nurse had performed an assessment indicating the woman had suffered a head injury when she fell while hiking.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser