Hawaii Route 520

Infobox road
state=HI
type=HI
route=520
alternate_name= Maluhia Road, Kōloa Tree Tunnel, Kōloa Road, Po'ipū Road, Lāwa'i Road, Ho'onani Road.
length_mi=5.08
length_round=2
length_ref= [http://www.hawaiihighways.com/kauai.htm Kauai at Hawaii Highways] ]
established=
direction_a=North
starting_terminus=
junction=
direction_b=South
ending_terminus=Koloa Landing
previous_type=HI
previous_route=490
next_type=HI
next_route=530

Hawaii Route 520 is the road which connects Kōloa and Po'ipū to Hawaii Route 50, the principal highway of the southern part of Kaua'i in the state of Hawaii. It is under the jurisdiction of Kauai County, though it is numbered within the state numbering system.

Route description

Immediately south of where the road meets Route 50, the road (there known as Maluhia Road, meaning "peaceful") enters the Tunnel of Trees, a stand of "Eucalyptus robusta," Swamp Mahogany. The stand, which lines either side of the road for more than a mile, providing shade and a characteristic smell. There are two versions of its planting. According to some, the trees were brought here and planted by the Knudsen family, at the time the largest landowner in the area to help stabilize the then soggy road over Knudsen Pass. [Robert Nilsen. "Moon Handbooks: Kaua'i" (5th ed). Emeryville, CA: Avalon, 2003. Page 257.] Another story is that they were planted by pineapple baron Walter Duncan McBryde, who planted them as a community project in 1911, using 500 leftover trees from his landscaping of his estate at Kukuiolono.Pamela V. Brown. "Paradise Family Guides: Kaua'i" (9th ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press, 2006. Page 74.] [Jeff Campbell et al. "Lonely Planet: Hawaii" (8th ed.). Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet, 2007. Page 519.] Before the construction of the Kaumuali'i Highway (Route 50), the tree tunnel was three times longer than its current size.

As Road 520 enters Kōloa, on the west side is the remains of the original sugar plantation, commemorated by a plaque and sculpture, [Ray Riegert. "Hidden Hawaii" (13th ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press, 2005. Page 434.] erected in 1985 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of commercial sugar production in Hawaii. [Sean Pager. "Off the Beaten Path: Hawaii" (8th ed.). Guilford, CT: Insiders' Guides, 2007. Page 11.] The road forms a T with Kōloa Road at the center of Kōloa, and then continues to the south a few blocks further west under the name "Po‘ipū Road." Kōloa Road continues west as Hawaii Route 530 continuing on south to Po'ipū. Po'ipū Road then splits off to the east to most of the town of Po'ipū. Route 520 then continues as Lāwa'i Road briefly, before it splits to the west leads to Spouting Horn and the National Tropical Botanical Gardens. The final stretch of the highway is marked as Ho'onani Road, and terminates at Koloa Landing.

History

The Maluhia Road section was formerly designated as Hawaii Route 52.

References

External links

* [http://www.hawaiihighways.com/kauai.htm Route log]