Skip to main content

Hawaii Route 311

By


Hawaii Route 311 is a 6.4-mile State Highway located on the Island of Maui.  Hawaii Route 311 connects the communities of Kahului and Kihei via a four-lane expressway grade.  Hawaii Route 311 traditionally was known as Mokulele Highway and now designated as Maui Veterans Highway.


Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 311

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 35 was originally designated as having a northern terminus in Kahului at Hawaii Route 32/Kaahumanu Avenue.  From Kahului, Hawaii Route 35 followed Puunene Avenue south to the Alexander & Baldwin company town of Puunene.  From Puunene, Hawaii Route 35 followed Mokulele Highway south to Kihei and Hawaii Route 31 at Kihei Road.  Hawaii Route 35 as originally configured can be seen on the 1959 Gousha Map of Hawaii.  Hawaii Route 35 is noted to be a secondary highway.  

During the 1960s the Hawaii Route System was simplified, and numerous important roads added to the State's inventory.  According to hawaiihighways.com the entirety of Hawaii Route 35 was originally maintained by Maui County.  During the 1960s all of what was Hawaii Route 35 was added to the State's inventory and reassigned as Hawaii Route 350.  At some point (the timeframe is unclear) Hawaii 350 seems to have been truncated to existing only on Puunene Avenue.  From Puunene Avenue the entirety of Mokelule Highway was transferred to a newly designated Hawaii Route 311.  

During May 2008 an expansion of Mokulele to a divided four-lane highway was completed between Hawaii Route 31/Piilani Highway and Hawaii Route 380/Kuihelani Highway.  The expansion of Hawaii Route 311 extended north of Puunene via a bypass.  The segment of Hawaii Route 350 in Puunene was partially abandoned and the highway was truncated to Hawaii Routes 311 and 380 at Kuihelani Highway.  It isn't clear but appears this is when Hawaii Route 350 was truncated it was also redesignated as Hawaii Route 3500.  During April 2017 Hawaii Route 311 was designated as Maui Veterans Highway by Governor David Ige.


Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 311

Hawaii Route 311 northbound begins at the north terminus of Hawaii Route 31/Piilani Highway at the outskirts of Kihei.  From the northbound start of Hawaii Route 311 a guide sign denotes Kahului as being 7 miles away.  




Hawaii Route 311 northbound follows Maui Veterans Highway north towards Kahului.  Hawaii Route 311 traffic can access Puunene from Hansen Road.  









Hawaii Route 311 northbound terminates at the junction of Hawaii Routes 380, 3800 and 3500 in Kahului.  





 Part 3; former Hawaii Route 311 on Old Mokulele Highway in Puunene

Former Hawaii Route 35/350 on Old Puunene Avenue and former Hawaii Route 311 on Old Mokulele Highway can still be accessed.  North of Hansen Road the former alignment of Hawaii Route 35/350 on Old Puunene Avenue is abandoned.  

Below the soft transition from former Hawaii Route 350 south on Old Puunene Avenue to former Hawaii Route 311 on Old Mokulele Highway can be seen.  The junction is still easily identifiable due to the weathered Hawaii Route 311 shield still directing traffic onto Old Mokulele Highway.  


Below is a series of photos of the company town site of Puunene from Old Puunene Avenue.  Puunene was plotted around the Hawaii Commerical & Sugar Company Mill (a division of Alexander & Baldwin) which was completed during 1901.  The Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company Mill closed during 2016 which ended production of sugar cane on the Hawaiian Islands.  









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

By
Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80.   This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.  Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range.  The first documented wagon crossi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

By
When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River.  Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207.   Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road.   The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939.   Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune .  Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903.  The postal name was sourced...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

By
Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...
Post a Comment
Read more