Hawaii Island mayor offers timeline, cost estimates for Mokuola bridge rebuild

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – Access to Hilo’s Mokuola, more commonly known as Coconut Island, remains cut off as the only bridge connecting it sits in disrepair.

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Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda says work on a temporary pedestrian bridge could start as soon as January with access hopefully being restored by next summer.

“I know everybody say, ‘When are you gonna fix the bridge?’” he said. “I thought it was easy. It’s just a bridge, right? I mean, just fix it. But no, it’s all kind of regulatory obligations.”

The mayor said necessary permits took months to obtain, but the vision is already in the works.

“I already saw the preliminary design. It’s gonna be bigger. It’s gonna be wider. (It’s) gonna be nice. I’m asking for lights. It’s just gonna be super nice,” he said.

The bridge came down in November 2025 when a county worker drove an 8,000-pound mini excavator over it.

Hawai’i Island resident Hauoli Wright said, “Who let them take that across the bridge, was my first thought. Who the heck let them do that?”

But the mayor said getting equipment over to the island was a common occurrence.

“It wasn’t his fault. I mean, we go across those bridges all the time with the same equipment for years over as far as I can remember. I mean somebody’s got to maintain that island, right?” Alameda said.

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Age and deterioration were likely the main factors as the bridge was previously flagged in a report years prior, alerting the county to potential structural issues.

But the mayor said as a pedestrian-only bridge, it was not among the top 20 prioritized.

As for costs, the temporary access bridge could run anywhere from one $1.5 million to $2 million, and be ready by June or July.

For the permanent rebuild, however, estimates are around $20 million, the mayor confirmed.

But who’s paying for it?

“We’re gonna ask the feds to fund most of it right now,” Alameda said. “We’ve worked hard to get the grants, working with the feds, and like I said, right now, we’ve got a promise of 80%. I’m shooting for 100%.”

Residents are relieved to hear work will be taking shape soon so they can get back to this special island that once housed residents, and continues hold historic significance.

“I’m stoked that we’re gonna get our bridge back and people will be able to go back and celebrate there again,” Wright said.

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