I grew up here and the Hana road use to be pretty bad in some sections and the Piilani use to have major dirt sections. The road now however had been heavily reconstructed as well as constantly maintained in areas that get "washed out" by heavy rains.

As for what Doctor said rentals are warned of road hazards and anything that can cost the renter money after driving on.

I can tell you I know the road around Haleakala extremely well since we conducted a serious Search and Rescue about a year ago and I walked nearly every mile from one end of Hana Hwy to the end Kula by foot over the span of several months.

Also NEVER take a rental car around the West Maui's side of the island, you think Hana and Piilani are bad. West Maui side we are talking single dirt road with sheer cliff on the side with two way traffic.

doctorkb wrote:I haven't gone from Hana to Ulupalakua, but did the Wailkuku to Honokowai route about 5 years ago. It wasn't half as bad as some of the bits around Ulupalakua... At least it wasn't then.

The Road to Ulupalakua is significantly better, and the parts that are even regularly washed out are maintained pretty regularly.
The roads that go around West Maui from Napili to Wailuku haven't changed much at all there are some serious wonky areas, but it is drivable.

"Still, there's no way the South Hana Route past MM30 to MM48 or any part of Maui County Route 340 should be marked as a minor highway."
They are defined as this by the DOT for a reason. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway) A highway is any public road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks: It is not an equivalent term to freeway (motorway)..
So being defined as minor highways is correct.

"originally county-maintained Federal-aid highway, apparently added to state highway system in late 1960s; State route 340 begins at its east end near mile 2.6, reflecting its original inclusion of what is now State route 3400"

That was what I saw in your link, it did mention it is county maintained but you have to remember the jurisdictional aspects of Hawaii are really strange due to left-over territorial provisional govt. administration. I mean we have a Maui Police Dept., Maui is a county, the Sheriff's don't do anything except transport prisoners really...(Why I am leaving Hawaii to get back into law enforcement.)

deadbirddog wrote:On a different note to Cloud...be careful what you wish for brother. LE is not what it used to be. Especially not now. I don't miss it at all. I thank God ever day I'm no longer a part of it. You stay safe.

I appreciate that, I was an MP so I have a taste of the good ole boy system and bureaucracy however I still want to be a detective, and apply new sciences to investigation especially interviews and profiling.

Also short of calling DOT here, I am sure it is considered a state Hwy, again you have to remember that how the government is situation here is really strange. Lots of things are called County level and are regulated or administrated at State level.
Use to be everything was controlled and admin'd by territorial govt. eventually they broke up that power but it is still very differently structured than mainland govt. agencies ect.

List of State Highways
http://www.co.maui.hi.us/index.aspx?NID=1093
"State Highway Jurisdiction Listing
Major roads between cities are State Highways"

More lists of Hawaii Hwys:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ha ... e_highways

I didn't have any issues with the South Hana route...in fact I found it infinitely preferable to the northern route. It's relatively safe but unquestionably less so at night. I wouldn't recommend night travel or inclement weather travel at all beyond MM 30 toward Hana. There are way too many blind approaches that are one lane (at best) in width. There are parts of the road that can and will flash flood and be washed out in rain. Of the two roads I mentioned though it is by far the safest route. There is a 5 mile segment of Kahekili Road (340) though that is even worse because of it's altitude and drop offs. Take a look at this video:



The temptation to use this road is really high coming out of Kahului toward Lahaina...especially when traffic is so bad there. I wouldn't want to drive that road at night or in rain under anything other than life or death circumstances. Because it might be. Waze properly routes you on the main route but when you see a "Minor Highway" offering what might be an alternative around bumper to bumper traffic people will take it. It's a scenario ripe for trouble on this road. The South Hana route is not nearly as problematic.

I picked up a Mercedes E350 convertible from Hertz in Kahului. They never said a word about any restricted roads. Not to me, not to anyone in line around me. It's your call out there. I totally get the problem with the routing engine. Still, there's no way the South Hana Route past MM30 to MM48 or any part of Maui County Route 340 should be marked as a minor highway.

Cloud887 wrote:Also NEVER take a rental car around the West Maui's side of the island, you think Hana and Piilani are bad. West Maui side we are talking single dirt road with sheer cliff on the side with two way traffic.

That's my point exactly.

It's irrelevant to me at this juncture though. It took me 37 years to get back to Maui and I've got other places on the travel agenda in the future. I just thought I'd point out what I consider to be a potential problem.

Happy motoring.