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Ala Kinoiki Way to Poipu Beach (the Koloa Bypass)

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Ala Kinoiki Way (the Koloa Bypass) is 2.9-mile rural bypass of the community of Koloa which permits direct access from Kauai County Route 520 to Poipu.  Construction of Koloa Bypass would begin in 1999 and opened to traffic in 2001 following a project delay due to surfacing issues.  Kauai County intends to extend the Koloa Bypass west to Kauai County Route 530 (Koloa Road) by 2035 as part of Federal Aid-Highway Route 522.    


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 the Koloa Bypass

The Koloa Bypass corridor was a project intended to grant the community of Poipu direct access to Kauai County Route 520 (Mahulia Road).  Originally traffic wishing to access Poipu had to pass through the congested community of Koloa and utilize Poipu Road.  

Construction of the Koloa Bypass began on May 17, 1999.  During October 2000 a naming contest for the bypass was held.  The Kauai County Mayor's Office would select "Ala Kinoiki Way" from the list of submitted contest entries.

The Koloa Bypass was functionally completed between Kauai County Route 520 and Poipu Road by early 2001.  A formal dedication ceremony for the bypass was planned for March 14, 2001.  Kauai County discovered upon final inspection that the initial project contractor (Rego Construction) had applied the roadway concrete too thinly. 

Okada Trucking Company out of Oahu was contracted to finish the Koloa Bypass.  The June 23, 2001, Garden Island announced the corridor was anticipated to be open to traffic the coming August. 

The County of Kauai intends to eventually extend the Koloa Bypass west of Kauai County Route 520 to Kauai County Route 530 (Koloa Road).  This extension appears as Federal-Aid Highway Route 522 on the 2035 Transportation Plan for the District of Kauai.  All Federal Aid-Highway Programs in Hawaii are assigned Route numbers consistent with the established State Highway numbering systems applicable to individual islands.  In the case of Kauai these numbers range from 50-59, 500-599 and 5000-5999. 





Part 2; a drive on the Koloa Bypass

The southbound Koloa Bypass begins a short distance from Koloa along Kauai County Route 520 (Maluhia Road).  Poipu is used as a control city, and the street blade indicates the bypass name of Ala Kinoiki (which lacks "Way").


The Koloa Bypass extends 2.9 miles southward and terminates at Poipu Road.  









Poipu has been inhabited well before European contact in Hawaii.  The Hapa Trail was an ancient Hawaiian roadway to the area which has been dated to around 1200 AD.  Modern Poipu is a resort community which had 1,299 residents on the 2020 census.  Nearby Poipu Beach Park is one of the best-known locations on Kauai to see Sea Turtles resting during evening hours. 




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