Waikiki Beach Makeover

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

04 Oct 2006 06:54 AM

It's an event that hasn't taken place in more than three decades, but now it is just days away from starting-Hawaii's famed Waikiki beach is getting a makeover- of sorts. It's really more of an expansion than an actual makeover, but when the project is complete you will be able to spread out on the powder white sand without worrying about elbowing the visitors tanning themselves next to you.

According to state Department of Land and Natural Resource, the sand replenishment project should take a month to complete-just in time for the influx of holiday travelers. Project organizers plan to move 10,000 cubic yards of sand -- about 1,000 dump-truck loads' worth -- from offshore to the beach. Records show that between 1939 and 2000, almost 250,000 cubic yards of sand were added to Waikiki Beach to widen it, but the beach has not had a significant replenishment since 1975. Since then, decades worth of summer's high surf coupled with the millions of visitors traipsing on the sugary sand have eroded the world famous beach.

So why did it take more than 30 years to replenish the sand? State officials say the project originally was planned to begin in the fall of 2004, then in the spring of 2005, but each time the project was postponed because of scheduling and permit problems. And, just in case you are planning a fall getaway to Oahu and had plans to stroll Waikiki beach, don't worry about having to change your itinerary. Officials announced the replenishment project would not significantly affect beach use because the sand would be placed at night.

After the sand replenishment project is complete state officials will go back to the drawing board to work on more improvement projects for the popular beach. Longer-term concepts for improving the area include scalloping the sand to make lagoons and blocking erosion with T-groins.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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