Skip to main content

Hawaii Route 80

By

Hawaii Route 80 is an approximately 2-mile State Highway located on the Island of O'ahu.  Hawaii Route 80 is a component of the Kamehameha Highway which begins at Hawaii Route 99 immediately north of Interstate H-2 Exit 8 in Wahiawa.  Hawaii Route 80 follows the Kamehameha Highway north through Wahiawa crossing the waters of Wahiawa Reservoir twice before terminating at Hawaii Route 99.  Pictured above is the 1932 Karsten Thot Bridge which carries Hawaii Route 80 over the Wahiawa Reservoir north of Wahiawa.


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 80

Prior to the Statehood the first signed highways within Hawaii Territory came into existence during World War II.   During World War II the territory of Hawaii saw an influx of military activity following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.  Numerous Military Routes and early Hawaii Routes were signed through the Hawaiian Territory to aid military personnel in navigating the islands.  Military Highways were assigned US Route style shields whereas lesser highways were assigned an early variation of what is now the Hawaii Route Spade.  The Kamehameha Highway through Wahiawa is shown assigned as part of Military Route 1.  A full version of the 1946 Army Map of O'ahu can be seen on hawaiihighways.com here.  


Circa 1955 following the conclusion of World War II 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 O'ahu the Island was assigned numbers in the range of 60-99.  Hawaii Route 80 was assigned to the Kamehameha Highway from Hawaii Route 99 through Wahiawa north to Hawaii Route 82 and onwards to Hawaii Route 99 via Kaukonahua Road.  

Hawaii Route 80 can be seen on the 1959 Gousha Map of Hawaii in the vicinity of Wahiawa.

It is unclear when Hawaii Route 80 was truncated but it appears to have occurred when Hawaii Route 99 was realigned over Hawaii Route 82 north of Wahiawa.  What was Hawaii Route 80 on Kaukonahua Road is shown on the 1983 USGS Map of the Wahiawa Area as Hawaii Route 801.  Hawaii Route 80 is shown with what appears to be a dual northern terminus at Hawaii Route 99 via Kamehameha Highway and Kaukonahua Road.  It is unclear when Hawaii Route 801 was decommissioned as there is no longer any reassurance shields.  According to hawaiihighways.com Hawaii Route 80 still has a dual northern terminus at Hawaii Route 99 but field signage only indicates it is via Kamehameha Highway. 


Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 80

Northbound Hawaii Route 80 begins on Kamehameha Highway south of Wahiawa when Hawaii Route 99 splits onto Wilikina Drive.  

Hawaii Route 80 northbound follows Kamehameha Highway over the Wahiawa Reservoir and passes through Wahiawa.  Departing Wahiawa Hawaii Route 80 northbound crosses the 1932 Karsten Thot Bridge.  The Karsten Thot Bridge 213.9-foot-long Warren Through Truss Span which was renovated during 2015. 

North of the Karsten Thot Bridge Hawaii Route 80 intersects Hawaii Route 7012 (former Hawaii Route 804) at Whitmore Avenue.  

Northbound Hawaii Route 80 intersects former its original alignment and former Hawaii Route 801 at Kaukonahua Road.  



Hawaii Route 80 northbound follows Kamehameha Highway to a terminus at Hawaii Route 99.  


Southbound Hawaii Route 80 begins on Kamehameha Highway starting from Hawaii Route 99 as the latter splits onto Kamananui Road.  


Southbound Hawaii Route 80 intersects former its original alignment and former Hawaii Route 801 at Kaukonahua Road.  At Whitmore Avenue southbound Hawaii Route 80 intersects Hawaii Route 7012. 


Southbound crosses the Karsten Thot Bridge, passes through Wahiawa on Kamehameha Highway and terminates at Hawaii Route 99 south of the Wahiawa Reservoir. 


Strangely a Hawaii Route 80 shield with "Hawaii" in the Spade crest on Kaukonahua Road when Dan Murphy drove it during early 2019.  The current Google Street View image from July 2019 shows the shield has been removed.  The specification Hawaii Route shield below is of 1971 vintage according to Jake Bear of the AAroads Shield Gallery. 



During May of 2019 Dan Murphy of the Roadwaywiz YouTube Channel and Gribblenation featured real-time drives on Hawaii Route 80.  Below Hawaii Route 80 can be viewed northbound from Hawaii Route 99.  


Below Hawaii Route 80 can be viewed southbound from Hawaii Route 99. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more