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Former Hawaii Route 271

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Former Hawaii Route 271 was located on the northern coast of the Big Island near Hawi.  The corridor originated at Hawaii Route 27 and followed Upolu Point Road approximately 1.9 miles north to Upolu Airport.  The corridor was recommended for deletion several times during the 1960s and appears to have been removed the Hawaii Route System circa 1967.  

Hawaii Route 271 can be seen below on the 1959 Gousha Highway map of Hawaii. 


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 history of former Hawaii Route 271

Upolu Point is located near the community of Hawi at the northernmost tip of the Hawaiian Big Island.  Near the namesake point Upolu Airport can be found.  Said airport was constructed in 1927 for the United States Air Service and was initially administered by the War Department.  The airport was named "Suiter Field" in 1933 which was intended to honor Army Lieutenant Wilbur C. Suiter.  Prior to World War II the facility was used for dual civilian and military purposes.  

During World War II Upolu Airport was manned by the Navy who used it as a weather and communications station.  The Naval Post served as an auxiliary unit of Naval Air Station Hilo.  Following the war in 1947 jurisdiction of Upolu Airport was transferred to Hawaii Aeronautics Commission.  In 1948 a 4,000-foot paved runway was constructed at Upolu Airport and commercial flights began to be scheduled regularly in 1950.  

By 1955 the Hawaii Route System was expanded to the Big Island.  Given the regional importance of Upolu Airport, the roadway to Upolu Point (Upolu Point Road) was commissioned as Hawaii Route 271.  Hawaii Route 271 can be seen below on the 1959 Gousha Highway map of Hawaii. 


Hawaii Route 271 was ultimately short lived.  According to Oscar Voss's hawaiihighways.com the highway was targeted for deletion from the Big Island Federal Aid System in 1964 and 1967.  The designation of Hawaii Route 271 seems to have been deleted following 1967.  

Given the relative isolation was of the Hawi area and northern Kohala coast was broken by the development of Hawaii Route 270 in the early 1970s the importance of Upolu Airport has declined.  As of 2008 the facility only had 790 aircraft operations which comprised of 89% general aviation, 1% air taxi and 10% military. 

Below Hawaii Route 270 can be seen approaching the former beginning of Hawaii Route 271 at Upolu Point Road.  


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