Skip to main content

Hawaii Route 3400 (the amalgamation of former Hawaii Route 34 and former Maui County Route 341)


Hawaii Route 3400 is a 2.6-mile State Highway located on the Island of Maui in the Wailuku and Kahului areas.  Hawaii Route 3400 is comprised of portions which were once part of Hawaii Route 34 on Kahului Beach Road and Maui County Route 341 on Waiehu Beach Road.  Modern Hawaii Route 3400 now bridges Hawaii Route 32 at Kaahumanu Avenue in Kahului north to Hawaii Route 340/Maui County 330 at Kahekili Highway near Wailuku. 


Part 1; the evolution of Hawaii Route 34 and Maui County Route 341 into Hawaii Route 3400

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 34 was aligned from Hawaii Route 32 at Kaahumanu Avenue in Kahului west through Wailuku on a partially completed downtown bypass via lower Main Street and approximately half a mile of Waiale Road.  Hawaii Route 34 was connected to Hawaii Route 30 south of downtown Wailuku via non-state-maintained Koa Drive.  Maui County Route 341 was aligned north from Hawaii Route 34 at lower Main Street via what is now Waiehu Beach Road and Lower Waiehu Beach Road to Waiehu Beach Park.  The original configurations of Hawaii Route 34 and Maui County Route 341 can be seen on the 1955 United States Geological Survey map of Wailuku.  

According hawaiihighways.com a 1967 Hawaii Department of Transportation document recommended the removal of Hawaii Route 34 from the Federal-Aid Highway System and by proxy State Highway System.  This measure seems to have been taken due to Koa Drive never been taken on as a State maintained facility which meant Hawaii Route 34 never fully functioned as the bypass of downtown Wailuku it was intended to be.  

Despite being a mainline State Highway, it appears Hawaii Route 34 may have been always signed with "bypass" placards.  A 2001 era image of a Hawaii Route 34 shield along with a bypass placard can be seen on hawaiihighways.com here.  

1.5 miles of Maui County Route 341 (Waiehu Beach Road) from lower Main Street to Waiehu Stream and 4.3 miles of Kahekili Highway north of Waiehu Stream were to Camp Maluhia were recommended to be added to the State Highway System.  This led to construction of a new connecting branch of Waiehu Beach Road directly to Kahekili Highway.  This new construction led to the designation of Hawaii Route 340 which followed Kahului Beach Road (formerly lower Main Street) 1.1 miles, Waiehu Beach Road for 1.5 miles and replacing Hawaii Route 33 over Kahekili Highway for 4.3 miles.  Hawaii Route 340 can be seen on the 1983 United States Geological Survey Map of the Wailuku area.  



It is unclear when Hawaii Route 3400 replaced Hawaii Route 340 between Kaahumanu Avenue and Kahekili Highway.  Hawaii Route 3400 is shown to be interchange with Hawaii Route 340 on the 2017 United State Geological Survey map of the Wailuku area.  Hawaii Route 340 shields strangely are occasionally in place along modern Hawaii Route 3400.  


Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 3400

Hawaii Route 3400 begins via a right-hand turn from the terminus of Maui County Route 330 on Kahekili Highway onto Waiehu Beach Road.  



Hawaii Route 3400/Waiehu Beach Road eastbound intersects former Maui County Route 341 at Lower Waiehu Beach Road.  

Hawaii Route 3400/Waiehu Beach Road continue east to Kahului Beach Road and lower Main Street.  Hawaii Route 3400 makes a left hand turn onto Kahului Beach Road whereas Hawaii Route 34 would have once gone in both directions.  For unknown reasons the approach to Kahului Beach Road and lower Main Street is signed "junction Hawaii Route 340."


Hawaii Route 3400 continues east via Kahului Beach Road where it terminates at Hawaii Route 32/Kaahumanu Avenue (GSV image used).


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The rogue G28-2 California State Highway Spades

In this short blog we look at the somewhat rare but not unheard-of rogue G28-2 California State Highway Spades affixed to guide signs. Part 1; what is the G28-2 California State Highway Spade?  The  Caltrans Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Sign Chart from 2014  ("Caltrans MUTCD") dictates the types of signs and highway shields permitted for traffic control use in California.  California is known for it's more ornate cut-out shields which are used for, US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Routes.  These shields are intended to be applied as standalone reassurance signs but aren't explicitly limited to said function and occasionally appear in error on guide signs.  The common shields which are typically found through California are: US Route:  G26-2 Interstate:  G27-2 State Highway:  G28-2 The Caltrans MUTCD provides alternative shields for, US Routes, Interstate Highways, and State Routes.  These alternative shields are intended for guide sign usage.  Th

Former Greater Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal

For just over four decades, the former main terminal of Greater Pittsburgh International Airport was the city's gateway to the world.  Located nearly 20 miles west of Downtown Pittsburgh, the Joseph Hoover-designed terminal would see millions of travelers pass through its doors.  Known best for the terrazzo compass in the main lobby, the terminal had many other distinguishing features.  The well-landscaped entrance led up to the curved stepped design of the terminal. Each level of the terminal would extend out further than the other allowing for numerous observation decks.  The most popular observation deck, the "Horizon Room", was located on the fourth floor. The former Greater Pittsburgh Airport Terminal - October 1998 From when it opened in the Summer of 1952 until its closing on September 30, 1992, the terminal would grow from a small regional airport to the main hub for USAir.  The terminal would see numerous expansions and renovations over its 40 years of

Highways in and around Old Sacramento; US 40, US 99W, CA 16, CA 24, CA 70, CA 99, CA 275, and more

This past weekend I was visiting the City of Sacramento for a wedding.  That being the case I decided to head out on a morning run through Old Sacramento, Jibboom Street Bridge, I Street Bridge, Tower Bridge, and path of US Route 40/US Route 99W towards the California State Capitol.  My goal was to retrace the paths of the various highways that once traversed the Old Sacramento area. 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 The old highway alignments of Sacramento The City of Sacramento lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and American River in Sacramento Valley.  Sacramento Valley was discovered by Spanish Explorer Gabriel Moraga in 1808.  Moraga referred to the fertile Sacramento Valley akin to a "Blessed Sacrament."  By 1839 John Sutter Sr. settled in Mexican held