If you are planning to drive or tour Maui’s famous road to Hana in the next couple of months, be aware that there is yet another road closure in the Alelele area of the road. You might recall that there was a closure in this same area last year due to a rock fall. This time the closure is due to road erosion caused by heavy rains per a statement by the County of Maui. They’re estimating that this closure repairs will take “at least two months.”
The road is closed for visiting tourists. Though the road is open for local traffic and emergency vehicles only, the county is advising that local sedans and pickup trucks avoid crossing this precarious section of road during heavy rain or high surf.
What does this mean for tourists wanting to explore the road to Hana?
The good news is that all the best places to see and explore along the road to will remain accessible. The best parts of the road to Hana start just past Paia, go through Hana, then onto the Kipahulu Region of Haleakala National Park and then return back to Paia. See the following map with those key areas indicated.
The vast majority of the road to Hana is open and visitors will get to see waterfalls and beautiful coastal scenes. All the best stops that we list in our road to Hana article are accessible and not affected by the Alelele road closure.
The current Alelele road closure is at the section of road that is often referred to as the “backside of the road to Hana.” It’s a section of road that rental car companies prohibit their renters from driving on it. To be sure, many renters ignore this warning, but it is certainly not recommended as drivers assume responsibility for damages and rescue.
Some guided tours typically drive the backside of the road to Hana. They will not be allowed to drive through the area while the repairs are in progress.
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To check to see when the road is re-opened, check this Maui County page for road closures. As long as this section of road is closed, it will be listed on that page.
Sheila Beal
4 comments
Is there any way to access the Alelele falls trail hike during this closure?
We aren’t sure. That waterfall is within the Haleakala National Park lands. Contact the Kipihulu regional office of the Haleakala National Park. They should be able to help answer this question.
Is the road still closed?
As of today, March 26, 2024, yes, it is still closed. We’ve added a note at the end of this article for how to check to find out if the road is still closed or not.