Popular East Oahu hiking spot to remain open after city suspends repair project

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A popular East Oahu hiking spot was supposed to close Monday after the city initially planned to begin a repair project, but the trail will remain open after plans were suspended.

The group “Kokonut Koalition” pushed back against the closure and proposed improvements.

Last week, the City’s Parks and Rec Department announced their plans to fix the crumbling World War II-era pillbox bunkers were being put on hold.

Kokonut Koalition argued the structures are part of history and the city should’ve consulted community members before going ahead with the plans.

Initially, the city announced the popular East Oahu attraction was going to be closed through the end of July.

The project’s price tag was about $439,000, and it did not include repairs to the stairs themselves.

The city said they are now working with the community to find a way forward.

Meanwhile, the Kokonut Koalition is raising money to help get the stairs fixed while preserving its history.

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