Unsigned Hawaii Route 3600 on the Paia Mini-Bypass

Hawaii Route 3600 is an unsigned 0.4-mile State Highway on the Island of Maui maintained on the privately owned Paia Mini-Bypass.  The Paia Mini-Bypass is owned by Alexander & Baldwin and connects eastbound-only traffic from Hawaii Route 36/Hana Highway to Maui County Route 390 at Baldwin Avenue south of downtown Paia.  The Paia-Mini-Bypass was opened to public traffic for a limited hours during 2006 and was opened to all-day public traffic during May 2011.  

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 3600 and the Paia Mini-Bypass

Paia was founded in 1880 as the site of a Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar mill (owned by Alexander & Baldwin) and siding of the Kahului Railroad.  The community of Paia lies at the junction of Hawaii Route 36/Hana Highway and Maui County Route 390.  The frequent influx of traffic from tourism on Hana Highway and in Paia has become a source of traffic bottlenecks for commuters bound for Makawao on Maui County Route 390.  

The Paia Mini-Bypass was constructed on lands owned by Alexander & Baldwin and opened to public traffic between 3 PM-6:30 PM Monday through Saturday via a licensing agreement with Maui County, Maui Police and the Hawaii Department of Transportation in 2006.  The hours for public use of the Paia-Mini Bypass were eventually extended to 1 PM-6:30 PM.  During May 2011 an agreement was reached to extend public use of the Paia-Mini Bypass to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The current 24-hour status of the Paia-Mini Bypass began on May 12, 2011, according to Maui Now.  

According to hawaiihighways.com, the Paia-Mini Bypass is maintained by the Hawaii Department of Transportation as unsigned Hawaii Route 3600.  Use of the Paia-Mini Bypass as a State maintained facility is intended to be temporary until a permanent bypass of Paia can be constructed. 

Part 2; a drive on the Paia-Mini Bypass

As Hana Highway/Hawaii Route 36 eastbound approaches downtown Paia it intersects the unsigned and privately owned one-way Hawaii Route 3600 on Paia Mini-Bypass.  

Paia Mini-Bypass is only a single lane and contains no on-route references to Hawaii Route 3600.  Paia Mini-Bypass ends at Maui County Route 390 at Baldwin Avenue south of downtown Paia.