Former Hawaii Route 226

Hawaii Route 226 was a short-lived 1.6-mile State Route on the Hawaiian Big Island located near Hakalau. The corridor was assigned during the early 1960s to the then unsurfaced Old Kauniho Homesteads Road. The highway was recommended for deletion in 1967 following it being surfaced. The routing of Hawaii Route 226 follows what is now modern Kauniho Road, Old Mamalahoa Highway and Lepoloa Road.

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The history of Hawaii Route 226

According to Oscar Voss's hawaiihighways.com Hawaii Route 226 was designated in the mid-1960s. The highway began at Hawaii Route 19 near Hakalau. The highway was aligned westward 1.6 miles over the then unpaved Old Kauniho Homesteads Road. The highway was recommended for deletion in a 1967 Hawaii Department Transportation document.

What wasn't clear originally was what modern road was once Old Kauniho Homesteads Road. This alignment has been clarified by the 1966 United States Geological Survey map of Papaaloa. Said map overtly displays Hawaii Route 226 following modern Kauniho Road, Old Mamalahoa Highway and Lepoloa Road west of Hawaii Route 19 to the end of the pavement.

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