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Kahekili Highway (Maui County Route 330, Hawaii Route 340, Maui County Route 340 and Hawaii Route 30)

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Kahekili Highway is a 19.2-mile highway located on the Island of Maui.  Kahekili Highway begins at the terminus of Maui County Route 33 at the north end of Market Street in Wailuku.  Kahekili Highway is carried by 1.7 miles of Maui County Route 330, 4.3 miles of Hawaii Route 340 and 9.4 miles of Maui County Route 340 and 5.8 miles of Hawaii Route 30 to Honoapiilani Highway at Honokohau Bay.  Kahekili Highway skirts the northwest coast of Maui and the 9.4 miles carried by Maui County Route 340 is infamously narrow.  


Part 1; the history of Kahekili Highway

The predecessor to Kahekili Highway is the King's Highway.   During the 16th Century a 138-mile belt road known as the King's Highway was constructed around the island perimeter under the direction Maui King Kiha-a-Piilani.  King's Highway was the paved with hand fitted lava rocks and was the first perimeter road on any Hawaiian Island.  King's Highway was four to six feet wide and was intended to facilitate rapid foot travel around Maui. 



Kahekili Highway is named in honor of Maui ruler Kahekili I.  Kahekili was born during the 1700s and was known presiding over a period of conquest.  Kahekili would conquer the Islands of Oahu, Lanai and Kauai during his reign.  

A primitive road connecting Wailuku west to Honokahau appears on the 1906 F.S. Dodge Map of Maui.  


The Island of Maui seemingly was not part of the original World War II era Hawaii Route System.  Circa 1955 the United States Bureau of Public Roads renumbered the Hawaii Route System.  The 1955 Hawaii Route Renumbering saw most of the conventions utilized by the current Hawaii State Route System established.  Primary Hawaii Routes were given two-digit numbers whereas Secondary Hawaii Routes were given three-digit numbers.  The Hawaii Routes were assigned in sequence for what Island/County they were located on coupled with what Federal Aid Program number they were tied to.  In the case of the Island of Maui it was assigned numbers in the range of 30-40.

Hawaii Route 33 was designated as originating in Wailuku at Hawaii Route 32.  Hawaii Route 33 initially followed North Market Steet and the entirety of Kahekili Highway along the northwest coast of Maui to Hawaii Route 30 at Honokohau.  Hawaii Route 33 also had a bypass of downtown Wailuku which originated at Hawaii Route 32/Main Street.  The Hawaii Route 33 bypass route followed Mill Street and Central Street from Hawaii Route 32 to mainline Hawaii Route 33 at North Market Street. 

Hawaii Route 33 can be seen on the 1959 Gousha Highway Map of Hawaii.  

During the 1960s the Hawaii Route System was simplified, and numerous minor routes were shed from the State inventory.  According to hawaiihighways.com Hawaii Route 33 on North Market Street and Kahekili Highway to Waiehu Beach Road were redesignated as Maui County Route 330 during 1968.  The remaining portion of Kahekili Highway was redesignated as Hawaii Route 340 to Camp Maluhia and Maui County Route 340 to Honokohau Bay.  Kahekili Highway between Keawalua to Honokohau Bay was added back into the Hawaii State Highway System as an extension of Hawaii Route 30 sometime after 1981 or possibly 1994 according to hawaiihighways.com. 


Part 2; a drive on the Maui County Route 330 portion of Kahekili Highway

Kahekili Highway begins as Maui County Route 330 at the northern terminus of Maui County Route 33 at the end of Market Street in Wailuku.


Kahekili Highway follows Maui County Route 330 northward to the junction of Hawaii Route 340 and Hawaii Route 3400.  Kahekili Highway splits left from the junction onto Hawaii Route 340, Kahakuloa is signed as being 12 miles away.  







The Hawaii Route 340 and Maui County Route 340 portions of Kahekili Highway can be observed on hawaiihighways.com.  In recent years the Maui County Route 340 portion of Kahekili Highway has be repaved and is in far better condition than presented below.  

Hawaii Highways - Road Photos - Kahekili Highway

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