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Hawaii County Route 187

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Hawaii County Route 187 is an approximately 12.7-mile highway located on the Big Island in the Kailau-Kona area.  Said county route was established in 2001 comprising approximately 0.5 miles of Palani Drive and what is presently 12.2 miles of Ali'i Drive.  

The designation of Hawaii County Route 187 included an extension of Ali'i Drive south from Kamehameha III Road (Hawaii County Route 161) to Hawaii Route 11 and Napoopoo Road (Hawaii County Route 161).  Ali'i Drive south of Kamehameha III Road was extended in stages from 2007 through 2019.  The corridor of Ali'i Drive has ties to the history of the early Kingdom of Hawaii seat of governance and is the location of numerous historic structures near Kailua Bay.  


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 County Route 187

Hawaii County Route 187 as presently configured is comprised of approximately 0.5 miles of Palani Drive and 12.2 miles Ali'i Drive (Alii Drive).  Alii Drive is the main surface street serving the community of Kailua-Kona and has ties to the early years of the Kingdom of Hawaii.  The word "Ali'i" directly translates to "king or royal" in English. 

Kailua-Kona established as one of the seats of power on the Big Island of Hawaii prior to the conquest of Kamehameha I and establishment of the Kingdom of Hawaii.  The community is centric to Kailua Bay at the foot of the volcanic mountain Hualalai.  Kailua Bay was the site of some of the earliest European contact with the Hawaiian Islands, notably the landing of Captain James Cook on January 17, 1779. 

Kailua-Kona became the seat of Kamehameha's government on the Big Island during his conquest of the Hawaiian Islands.  The Kingdom of Hawaii would be established during May 1795 and Kailua-Kona would be selected the second seat in 1796.  Much of early Alii Drive would be constructed to service the Kingdom of Hawaii government.  Mokuaikaua Church would be established as the first Christian Church in Hawaii along Alii Drive in 1820.  The Kingdom of Hawaii seat would also move to Honolulu during 1820.  

Alii Drive can be seen prominently as a major highway of the Big Island on the 1930 Hilo Chamber of Commerce tourism map.  


Despite the historic importance of Alii Drive it was not added the state highway system when it was expanded to the Big Island in 1955.  Alii Drive can be seen spanning from Palani Drive south to Kamehameha III Road on the 1959 Gousha Highway map of Hawaii.  


According to Oscar Voss's hawaiihighways.com Hualalai Road wasn't added to the Federal Aid-System on the Big Island during 1960s but rather at a later time.  The corridor was likely added during 1976 or sometime after.  This is likely due to the Hawaii Route 11 being shifted onto an extension of Queen Kaahumanu Highway south of Kailua-Kona.  The extension of Queen Kaahumanu Highway partially bisected Hualalai Road.  The original definition of Hawaii County Route 182 included the entire 3.6 miles of Hualalai Road in addition to 0.3 miles of Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona to Kailua Bay.

According to Oscar Voss's hawaiihighways.com Hawaii County Route 187 was designated in 2001 following the approved extension of Alii Drive via the so-called Mamalahoa Highway bypass to Hawaii Route 11 and Napoopoo Road (Hawaii County Route 161).  The planned extension was controversial due to it possibly disrupting numerous historic Hawaiian burial sites.  The Hawaii Burial Board approved plans to mitigate burial site location disruptions during October 2007.

Alii Drive would be constructed as a "rush hour only" extension to Halekii Street by 2009 and became a fully accessible corridor in November 2013.  The remaining Mamalahoa bypass corridor would only be complete to Hawaii Route 11 and Napoopoo Road in 2019.  



Part 2; a drive on Hawaii County Route 187

Southbound Hawaii County Route 187 begins in Kailua-Kona at the end of Hawaii Route 190 along Palani Drive at Kuakini Highway.  The intersection of Palani Drive/Kuakini Highway is where Hawaii Routes 11 and 19 once met each other.  Traffic wishing to access Alii Drive is directed to follow Palani Drive straight.  




Palani Drive becomes Alii Drive at Kailua Bay.  Much of Alii Drive is marked with Mile Markers which note it to be part of Hawaii County Route 187. 


Huihee Palace and Mokuaikaua Church both can be found on Alii Drive at Kailua Bay.  Huihee Palace was constructed in 1838 as a vacation home for the Hawaiian Royal Family.  The palace was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.  Mokuaikaua Church as mentioned in Part 1 was established in 1820 as the first Christian Church in Hawaii.  The current church structure was completed in 1837.  











Hawaii County Route 187 continues south from downtown Kailua-Kona along the shoreline to the Keauhou Shopping Center.  At said shopping center Hawaii County Route 187 and Alii Drive make a right-hand turn.  


















Hawaii County Route 187 intersects Hawaii County Route 182 at Kamehameha III Road.  




Hawaii County Route 187 continues south to Halekii Street where it ended circa 2013.  









Hawaii County Route 187 follows the 2019-era extension to a terminus at Hawaii Route 11 and Napoopoo Road (Hawaii County Route 161) near Captain Cook.




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