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Former Hawaii Routes 15 and 151 in the Pahala area

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Hawaii Routes 15 and 151 were once located in the Pahala area of the Big Island.  Both corridors were established in 1955 when the Hawaii Route System was expanded from Oahu to the other islands.  Hawaii Route 15 appears to have been established to preserve the early alignment of Mamalahoa Highway via Maile Street.  Hawaii Route 151 seemingly was established to service the sugar plantation at the Wood Valley Temple.  Despite both highways being deleted from the State Highway System and all Federal Aid Programs in the late 1960s they still somehow remain signed into modern times.  

Hawaii Routes 15 and 151 can be seen converging on the 1967 United States Geological Survey map of Pahala. 




Part 1; the history of Hawaii Routes 15 and 151

In 1955 the Hawaii Route System was expanded to the Big Island with Hawaii Routes 15 and 151 being established in the Pahala area.  Hawaii Route 15 was a 1.3-mile corridor which looped to/from Hawaii Route via Maile Street and Kamahi Street.  Hawaii Route 151 was a 6.2-mile corridor which followed Pikake Street and Wood Valley Road to the end of the pavement.  

During the early 1880s the Hawiian Agricultural Company founded the company town of Pahala.  Prior to the modernization of Mamalohoa Highway (now Hawaii Route 11) it once entered the community via Maile Street.  The designation of Hawaii Route 15 seems to be an attempt to preserve the utility to the Pahala community once carried by the early Mamalahoa Highway.  

Hawaii Route 151 served the Wood Valley Temple (Nechung Dorje Drayang Ling) north of Pahala.  Said temple was originally constructed in 1902 near Pahala and moved to the current location near the end of Wood Valley Road in 1925.  Following the closure of Kau Sugar company in the 1960s the temple was briefly abandoned.  In 1973 the temple was leased to group with lineage in Tibetan Buddhism. 

Hawaii Route 151 appears on the 1959 Gousha Highway map of Hawaii in the Pahala area.  The map notably does not display numerous shorter local Hawaii Routes that existed at the time like 15 and 21.  


Hawaii Routes 15 and 151 can be seen converging on the 1967 United States Geological Survey map of Pahala. 


The 1967 United States Geological Survey of Wood Valley displays Hawaii Route 151 ending at Wood Valley Camp. 


According to Oscar Voss's hawaiihighways.com both Hawaii Route 15 and Hawaii Route 151 lost their Federal Aid status during the late 1960s.  Hawaii Route 15 for a time was classified as Hawaii County Route 150 but even that designation did not survive the decade.  

Hawaii Routes 15 and 151 still appear on the 1980 United States Geological Survey map of Hawaii County.  It is unclear why both highways remained logged despite having been formally deleted from all Federal Aid programs.  


Both routes are not shown as being present on the 1981 United States Geological Survey map of Pahala.  


Both Hawaii Routes 15 and 151 were signed with 1955-era embossed shields in Pahala at the intersection of Maile Street and Pikake Street until recently.  The embossed shields are shown as being present in September 2011 Google Street view images.  



The 2012 Hawaii Department of Transportation document detailing changes to the Federal System pertaining to roadways does not note a Route 15 or Route 151 under state or Hawaii County jurisdiction. 


Hawaii Route 151 appears on the 2013 United States Geological Survey map of Pahala.


As of 2019 modern Hawaii Route 15 and 151 signage has appeared in Pahala at the intersection of Maile Street and Wood Valley Road.  It is unclear if the Hawaii Department of Transportation, Hawaii County or another unknown party erected this signage.  


Hawaii Route 15 signage does not appear from Hawaii Route 11.  This image is of Hawaii Route 11 at Kamahi Street in 2024.  


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