Hawaii Route 583 is a 3.91-mile State Highway located on the island of Kauai. This corridor follows Maalo Road north from Hawaii Route 56 (Kuhio Highway) to the Wailua Falls parking lot in Wailua River State Park.
Hawaii Route 583 was commissioned during the late 1960s. The originally intent for the highway was to create an inland shortcut to either Hawaii Route 580 or Hawaii Route 56 in the Princeville area. These plans were ultimately abandoned, and the project corridor was never tied to a Federal Aid Program. By the early 1980s the northern terminus of Hawaii Route 583 was shifted to the Wailua Falls parking lot.
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 583
Modern Hawaii Route 583 is 3.91 miles and fully exists along Maalo Road. The corridor serves to connect Hawaii Route 56 (Kuhio Highway) northward to Wailua Falls along the South Fork Wailua River. The falls are located in the grounds of Wailua State Park.
Maalo Road can be seen connecting Hawaii Route 56 to Wailua Falls and Kaholalele Falls on the 1959 Gousha Highway map of Kauai. Maalo Road was not one of the initial 1955-era Hawaii Routes designated on the island.
Hawaii Route 583 was designated during the late 1960s. Originally the highway corridor only briefly followed Maalo Road north of Hawaii Route 56 and branched westward towards the head of Hamamaulu Ditch. Said ditch was dug out in 1870 at the best of the Lihue Sugar Plantation and included approximately 2.5 miles of tunnel work. Lihue Sugar Plantation was founded in 1849 and operated until 2000.
The original configuration of Hawaii Route 583 can be seen on the 1970 United States Geological Survey map of Kaui.
According to internal Hawaii Department of Transportation documents there was once plans to extend Hawaii Route 583 to either Hawaii Route 580 or Hawaii Route 56 near Princeville. The project was not part of any Federal Aid Program and possibly could have been under the jurisdiction of the State Park System. It isn't clear why these plans were abandoned but they were likely found to be unfeasible due to being located near the mountain Waialeale. Waialeale is one of the wettest places on the planet and typically receives 400 inches of rain annually.
The 1983 United States Geological Survey map of Kapaa displays Hawaii Route 583 being realigned fully along Maalo Road to Wailua Falls.
Hawaii Route 583 appears on the Hawaii Department of Transportation log for Kauai.
Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 583
Northbound Hawaii Route 583 branches from Hawaii Route 56 (Maalo Road) at Hamamaulu Stream. The Hamamualu Stream Bridge on Hawaii Route 583 was constructed during 1927.
Hawaii Route 583 passes the cemetery at Kauai Memorial Gardens.
As Hawaii Route 583 approaches the Ali Reservoir it passes the gate to the road which once carried it towards the head of Hamamaulu Ditch.
Hamamaulu Ditch has been repurposed into a tubing ride operated by Kauai Backcountry Adventures. The tubing ride passes through all the flume tunnels which were dug by hand in 1870 (Jessica Fearer photos).
Hawaii Route 583 passes under a Ahukini Terminal Railway overpass. Said narrow gauge line operated along eastern Kauai from 1920-1959 and had a terminus at Ahukini Landing.
Modern Hawaii Route 583 and Maalo Road both terminate at the Wailua Falls parking lot.
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