 Hawaii Route 560 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuhio Highway | ||||
 Route 560 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byHDOT | ||||
| Length | 10.01 mi (16.11 km) | |||
| Existed | Late 1960s–present | |||
| History | 2004: Added to theNRHP | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end |  Route 56 inPrinceville | |||
| West end | Dead ends atHa'ena State Park | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Hawaii | |||
| Counties | Kauai | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Kaua'i Belt Road--North Shore section | ||||
 Bridge overHanalei River, November 2009 | ||||
  | ||||
| Location | Route 560 Princeville,Hawaii United States | |||
| Coordinates | 22°12′43″N159°31′40″W / 22.21194°N 159.52778°W /22.21194; -159.52778 | |||
| Built | 1900 | |||
| Architect | J.H. Moragne, R.L. Garlinghouse, et al. | |||
| NRHP reference No. | 03001048[1] | |||
| Added to NRHP | February 11, 2004 | |||
Route 560, orKaua'i Belt Road-North Shore section, is a ten-mile (16 km) scenic road on the northern shore of theisland of Kauaʻi inHawaii. The entire road is signed as the Kuhio Highway. Hawaii Route 56 was once signed on this route before it was downgraded to Hawaii Route 560 in the late 1960s.[2] The Kuhio Highway is named afterJonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole, the second non-voting congressional delegate from territorial Hawaii.
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Kuhio Highway ends itsRoute 56 designation inPrinceville. The road drops in elevation heading toward theHanalei River with lookout points giving views of the river valley and the northwestern shore of Kauaʻi. It then goes through the only major town on this route,Hanalei, and pastHanalei Bay. It follows a foot trail used byancient Hawaiians. An early record is given in the 1849 diary ofWilliam DeWitt Alexander, who lived at theWaiʻoli mission, which is still along the road.William Tufts Brigham recorded boats used to cross the rivers in 1865. TheHanalei Pier is just north of the road, on the bay. At one time the valley was home to rice fields, and theHaraguchi Rice Mill is one of several along the river.[3]
The road is narrow at times and features 11 one-lane bridges, with the first five constructed in 1912. County engineers J. H. Moragne and R. L. Garlinghouse supervised building and paving the bridges.[3]
Many of these bridges have restricted weight limits and some are wooden.[4] Traffic must yield at these bridges and it is customary to allow the greater traffic to cross first, or after five to seven cars have passed, to allow to the other side to pass.[5] The road becomes narrower with each passing mile as theNā Pali Coast begins to inch closer to the coast. The road dead-ends atHaʻena State Park.
In the 1960s, there were plans to extend the road toRoute 550, allowing one to circumnavigate the entire island, but they were dropped due to environmental concerns and lack of traffic demand.[6] TheHawaii Department of Transportation was planning to replace the bridges with two-lane bridges, but the plan was abandoned in 1987. The area is popular for films, but they can cause traffic congestion since there are no alternate routes.[7]
Instead, a massive renovation project began for the Hanalei River bridge, promoted by a community preservation group with the Hawaii Department of Transportation. APratt truss was built as a replica of the original 1912 one-lane structure.[8] The new bridge was officially dedicated in 2003. A 1960s structure under the roadway supports the heavier weight of modern traffic.[9] On February 11, 2004, Route 560 was added to theNational Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii as site 03001048.[1]
The entire route is inKauai County.
| Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeville | 0.00 | 0.00 | Route 56 | Eastern terminus of Route 560 | |
| | 10.01 | 16.11 | Haʻena State Park | Western terminus of Route 560 | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
