Mauna Loa Volcano Might Sever a Main Freeway on Hawaii Island

A lava move is heading towards one of the necessary highways in Hawaii, and there’s not a lot anybody can do to cease it. In keeping with the USA Geological Survey (USGS), Mauna Loa, one of many 5 volcanoes that type Hawaii’s “Huge Island,” started erupting at roughly 11:30 p.m. on November twenty seventh. Mauna Loa, the world’s largest energetic volcano, began spouting fountains of lava near 150 ft excessive. Because the eruption continued, it turned evident that the move of lava was endangering the Daniel Okay. Inouye Freeway. And it’s not like you possibly can simply redirect sizzling lava.

A standing report printed on Sunday by the USGS acknowledged that the lava move entrance was 2.25 miles from the Daniel Okay. Inouye Freeway. This street is the one inland connection between the Huge Island’s two most populated areas, Hilo on the east coast and Kailua-Kona on the west coast. The report additionally acknowledged that the move was advancing at a mean velocity of 40 ft per hour (0.0076 miles per hour), slowing from a peak of 0.025 miles per hour reported on Thursday. However the USGS identified that the move’s velocity and route might be extremely variable, making it tough to foretell when, or if, the new laval will attain the roadway.

There isn’t a lot that might realistically be achieved to cease the lava move. Any potential measure to divert the move could be prohibitively costly and unlikely to succeed. In 1935, the U.S. Military Air Corps bombed a Mauna Loa lava move in an effort to redirect it, which did exactly nothing. In 2001, 30 bulldozers constructed earth and stone dikes to divert a Mount Etna lava move in Sicily, Italy, which proved way more profitable than bombing lava however was not at all a assured success.

The Hawaii Division of Transportation (HDOT) hasn’t but closed the Inouye Freeway, however has printed preliminary plans to take action. The present HDOT plan would shut the roadway between mileposts 8.8 and 28. Folks driving from one facet of the island to the opposite must use the island’s coastal highways, Highways 11 and 19. If the plan is put into motion, residents would solely get 6 hours’ discover earlier than the detours had been put in place.