Skip to main content

Hawaii Route 250

By

Hawaii Route 250 is a 19.3-mile highway located on the Big Island.  The corridor begins at Hawaii Route 19 in Waimea and terminates at Hawaii Route 270 in Hawi.  The corridor of Hawaii Route 250 crosses Kohala Mountain via the so-called Kohala Mountain Road and descends into Hawi via Hawi Road.  Kohala Mountain Road was the original overland highway to Hawi and was originally assigned as Hawaii Route 25 when the Hawaii Route System was expanded to the Big Island in 1955.  


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 250

The majority of Hawaii Route 250 traverses Kohala Mountain Road between Waimea and Hawi.  Kohala Mountain is an extinct shield volcano which makes up the northwest portion of the Big Island.  The mountain is thought to have breached the Pacific Ocean approximately 500,000 years ago and was last active approximately 120,000 years ago.  Much of the northeast portion of the mountain collapsed via a massive landslide approximately 250,000-300,000 years ago.  Currently Kohala Mountain rises to 5,480 feet above sea level.  

The 1912 United States Geological Survey Map of Kohala displays Hawi and Waimea connected by the "Waimea-Kona Road."  This road essentially is an overlay for the modern corridor of Kohala Mountain Road. 



Kohala Mountain Road can be seen prominently displayed as the only road to Hawi on the 1930 Hilo Chamber of Commerce map of the Big Island.  


In 1955 the Hawaii Route System was expanded to the Big Island.  The existing highway between Waimea-Hawi via Kawaihae Road, Kohala Mountain Road and Hawi Road was assigned as Hawaii Route 25.  Hawaii Route 25 appears on the 1959 Gousha Highway map of Hawaii.  


In 1975 Hawaii Route 19 was moved to the then new Queen Kaahumanu Highway.  The new alignment also consumed parts of Hawaii Routes 26 and 25 along Kawaihae Road.  Hawaii Route 25 was renumbered to Hawaii Route 250 and truncated to begin at Kohala Mountain Road in Waimea.  For this reason, Hawaii Route 250 begins at Mile Marker 2.6 rather than 0. 

Hawaii Route 250 can be seen on the 1975 United States Geological Survey map of the Big Island.




Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 250

Northbound Hawaii Route 250 begins on the western outskirts of Waimea as Kawaihae Road meets Kohala Mountain Road.  Northbound Hawaii Route 250 begins at Mile Marker 2.6. 




Northbound Hawaii Route 250 quickly ascends Kohala Mountain above Waimea.  A sweeping vista of Kailua-Kona can be seen facing south and the looming Mauna Kea can be seen to the west.  




















Northbound Hawaii Route 250 has a signed vista which faces over the northwest corner of the Big Island.















Hawaii Route 250 crests at an elevation of 3,564 feet above sea level near Kahua Ranch. 




Hawaii Route 250 passes by Kahau Ranch Road.  










Hawaii Route 250 crosses to the northern side of Kohala Mountain and drops below 3,000 feet above sea level.














Hawaii Route 250 approaches the end of Kohala Road at the intersection of Hawi Road and Kynnersley Road.  The highway turns left on Hawi Road towards Hawi. 











Northbound Hawaii Route 250 descends Hawi Road and terminates at Hawaii Route 270 in Hawi.  The terminus of Hawaii Route 250 is located at Mile Marker 21.8.  The Hawi townsite is located near the birthplace of Kamehameha I along the windward side of Kohala Mountain.  The modern community was founded as a company town of the Kohala Sugar Company.  Kohala Sugar began operations on the Big Island in 1863 and was active in Hawi until 1973.  










Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

By
After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...
4 comments
Read more

Finding the Pre-Emption Road of New York State

By
  The Pre-Emption Road (or rather a series of roads named Pre-Emption Road) follows a survey line called the Pre-Emption Line, drawn in the early days of the United States. The story begins with Massachusetts and New York having competing land claims to modern day Western New York State that have their roots in colonial charters granted by the British. After the Revolutionary War ended, this land became the frontier of the nation and its settlement became a priority for the new American government. During this era, there were a lot of competing land claims that needed to be settled. It was no different with the land claims between New York State and Massachusetts. On November 30, 1786, Massachusetts and New York sent representatives to Hartford, Connecticut to resolve their competing land claims. In less than three weeks, the representatives had reached a compromise. Massachusetts would receive pre-emption rights, meaning the right to sell the land after the Indian title ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

By
  Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...
Post a Comment
Read more