Keawe-Wailuku Bridge in Hilo

The Keawe-Wailuku Bridge is a crossing of the Wailuku River along Puueo Street in downtown Hilo. The structure is a Rainbow Arch design which was constructed during 1938 by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works office out of Hilo. Puueo Street was once known as "Bridge Street" and served as an alternative routing north out of downtown Hilo to the greater Mamalahoa Highway.

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.

The Keawe-Wailuku Bridge

The Keawe-Wailuku Bridge is located on Puueo Street in downtown Hilo at the Wailuku River. The corridor traditionally was wedged between the Hawaii Consolidated Railway and early Mamalahoa Highway on Wainaku Street.

What is now Puueo Street appears as "Bridge Street" on the 1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance map of Hilo. It is unclear what type of bridge was located at the Wailuku River along Bridge Street at the time.

The modern name of "Puueo Street" appears on the 1930 Hilo Chamber of Commerce map.

The Keawe-Wailuku Bridge was constructed on Puueo Street in 1938 by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works office out of Hilo. The structure is a unique rainbow arch bridge which can be seen below.

The view west on the Wailuku River from the Keawe-Wailuku Bridge towards the Wainaku Street Bridge. This concrete arch span was constructed in 1919 and briefly carried Hawaii Route 21.

The view east towards the Hawaii Route 19 bridge at the Wailuku River mouth at Hilo Bay. This bridge was constructed in 1950 from repurposed Hawaii Consolidated Railway piers.

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