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The 1911 Hanapepe River Bridge (Old Kaumualii Highway)

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The 1911-era Hanapepe River Bridge is located in the Kauai community of Hanapepe and is the first tee beam span constructed in the state of Hawaii.  This structure served as Kaumualii Highway during the 1911-1917 era development boom of the Kauai Belt Road.  Much of the business district would be subsequently constructed immediately east of this span along what is now Hanapepe Road. 

The 1911-era Hanapepe River Bridge was replaced in 1938 by a two-lane span a short distance to the south.  The 1938 span would become part of Hawaii Route 50 when the Hawaii Route System was expanded to Kauai in 1955.  Ultimately the 1911-era Hanapepe River Bridge would outlive the 1938-era replacement as the latter span was replaced and demolished in 2019.  


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 1911 Hanapepe River Bridge

The 1911-era, 1938-era and 2019-era Hanapepe River Bridges have all been at points of time components of the Kaumualii Highway (now Hawaii Route 50).  Kaumualii Highways begins at Rice Street in downtown Lihue and continues west along the southern coast of Kauai.  The western terminus is located at Lio Road near the entrance to the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands.  

Kaumualii Highway is named after Kaumuali'i.  Kaumiali'i was the last high chief of Kauai who reigned from 1793 to 1810.  During his reign both Kauai and Nihau were ruled as an independent nation state.  In 1810 Kauai became a vassal of Kamehameha's unified Kingdom of Hawaii.  Kaumaul'i would continue to govern Kauai until his death on May 30, 1824.

Much of what became Kaumualii Highway was developed on Kauai during the Kingdom of Hawaii plantation boom.  A functional highway from Lihue west to Mana is displayed prominently on the 1903 Hawaii Territory map of Kauai.  







The history of Kuhio Highway is extensively documented in a United States Department of the Interior application to the National Register of Historical Places dated September 5, 2000.  The application is heavily focused on the history of the portion of Kuhio Highway comprised by Hawaii Route 560 but also details much of the overall history of the Kauai Belt Road.  The Kauai Belt Road includes Kaumualii Highway. 

National Register of Historical Places application for inclusion of Kuhio Highway

In 1911 the territorial legislature established a loan fund which provided revenue to construct belt roads on the Hawaiian Islands.  A Loan Fund Commission was established for each inhabited island.  The commission on Kauai was early to act and moved to construct numerous bridges over the island over the next five years to complete the Kauai Belt Road.

One of the first major modern highway projects on the Kauai Belt Road was at the Hanapepe River in the town of Hanapepe.  During 1911-1912 the first tee beam bridge in the Hawaiian Islands was constructed over the river as part of the then new alignment of Kaumualii Highway.  The 1911-Hanapepe River Bridge permitted automobile access to western Kauai when there had been none previously. 


Prior to European contact the Hanapepe River was the site of a major village along southern Kauai.  The modern town site would begin to develop in 1880 when the Eleele Plantation was founded.  Additional plantations would be founded by the end of the century which would consolidate with the McBryde Sugar Company in 1899.  Hanapepe would develop into a modern town plot which was largely centered around Hanapepe Road and the 1911-Hanapepe River Bridge.  A construction boom would take place in the 1920s through the early 1930s.  Hanapepe is often cited as the inspiration for the unnamed town in the movie Lilo and Stitch. 

In 1938 a tee beam bridge would be constructed at the Hanapepe River as the then new alignment of Kaumualii Highway.  The then new bridge was built concurrent with a bypass of downtown Hanapepe which redirected traffic from the heart of the community.  

The 1938-era Hanapepe River Bridge along with the 1911-era span can both be seen in the below photo taken during 1941.  In 1955 the Hawaii Route System was expanded to Kauai.  Hawaii Route 50 was assigned to the entire corridor of Kaumualii Highway from Lihue west to Bonham Air Force Base at Barking Sands.


During October 2016 the Historic American Engineering Record filed a report on the 1938-era and 1911-era Hanapepe River Bridges.  The 1938-era span was then up for replacement and would be replaced by the Hawaii Department of Transportation in 2019.  The 1938-era span was demolished upon Hawaii Route 50 being realigned onto the new Hanapepe River Bridge.









Part 2; a visit to the 1911 Hanapepe River Bridge

As modern westbound Hawaii Route 50 departs Eleele it passes by the original alignment of the Kaumualii Highway at Hanapepe Road.  Traffic is advised that the historical downtown area can be accessed via Hanapepe Road.  



Hanapepe Road is lined with older commercial buildings from the sugar plantation heyday of Hanapepe.  The Hanapepe Swinging Bridge can be found a short distance north of downtown.  This swinging span was constructed in 1911 to aid plantation workers coming and going from job sites.  








Hanapepe Road has numerous murals painted onto older buildings.  Several depict characters from Lilo and Stitch.  






Westbound Hanapepe Road makes a right-hand turn onto itself at Hana Road.  Traffic is advised of the one-lane 1911-era Hanapepe River Bridge ahead.  



This view faces west over the Hanapepe River Bridge.  The year "1911" is stamped onto the structure and an elevated walkway permits pedestrian access.  It is unclear if this walkway was an original structural element.  


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