Skip to main content

Hawaii Route 58


Hawaii Route 58 is 2.1 miles in length and is comprised of the entirety of Nawiliwili Road between Hawaii Route 51 and Hawaii Route 50. Shortly after the creation of the Hawaii Route System in 1955 the Nawiliwili Road corridor was designated as Hawaii Route 501. Nawiliwili Road became the second designation of Hawaii Route 58 by the end of the 1960s when the State Highway and County Route systems split.


This page is part of the Gribblenation Hawaii Roads series.  A compellation of all Hawaii-related media from both Gribblenation and RoadwayWiz can be found by clicking here




Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 58

Modern Hawaii Route 58 is aligned completely over Nawiliwili Road which serves the Nawiliwili Bay area of Lihue.  Lihue historically was a small village which has been continuously occupied since pre-European contact.  The town was formally named in 1837 by Royal Governor Kaikio'ewa when he relocated the Kauai governing seat from Waimea.  The town has remained a commercial hub on Kauai and was selected as the Kauai County upon it being created in 1905. 

Nawiliwili Bay was once a fertile fishing ground which extensively used during pre-European contract Kauai.  The bay is thought to have been named after the wiliwili trees which were once abundant along the shore.  During the sugar industry boom of Hawaii Territory this bay became desirable as a major harbor.  In 1930 Nawiliwili Bay was dredged to accommodate large ships, and large seawall was installed.  Much of the funding for these improvements were provided by George Wilcox.     

Nawiliwili Bay can be seen served by Nawiliwili Road on the 1954 United States Geological Survey map of Kauai.  Nawiliwili Road branches east of Kaumauli Highway (now Hawaii Route 50) near Puhi.


In 1955 the Hawaii Route System was expanded to Kauai.  At some point between 1955 and 1962 Nawiliwili Road was added to the highway network as Hawaii Route 501.  Hawaii Route 501 can be seen for the first time on the 1963 United States Geological Survey map of Lihue.  Hawaii Route 501 originally connected to Hawaii Route 50 at both terminus points along Nawiliwili Road.


By the end of the 1960s Nawiliwili Road would be redesignated as the second iteration of Hawaii Route 58.  This likely occurred in 1968 when the State Highway and County Route networks were split.  This designation first appears on the 1970 United States Geological Survey map of Kauai.  


Nawiliwili Road appears as Hawaii Route 58 on the Hawaii Department of Transportation inventory directory for Kauai




Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 58

Westbound Hawaii Route 58 begins at the end of Hawaii Route 51 at Nawiliwili Bay.  




Hawaii Route 58 follows the 2.1-mile long Nawiliwili Road and terminates at Hawaii Route 50.










Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch.  While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley.  Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The Stockton Los Ange...

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California.  As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles.  US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street.  California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street.  US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton.   Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass.  Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...