Turtle Traffic Through Oahu’s North Shore

It seems Hawaii’s love for turtles has gotten us into a bit of a jam. Many drivers blame them for the all-day traffic mess from Haleiwa to Kahuku, as more and more people frequent a popular viewing spot that’s right in between.

Known for the turtles that cruise along shore, Laniakea Beach is no longer an island secret. Hundreds of beach-goers flock to this North Shore beach for a chance to see or swim with the turtles. Thus, the additional cars on North Shore roadways.

Check out this aerial view footage Eric Sterman took of the turtle traffic:

But it’s not just the extra cars that have been clogging Kamehameha Highway but the people crossing as well. This is because parking is across from the beach, and with no traffic light system to moderate traffic, people cross at various times and locations along the highway.

Discussion for possible solutions have been underway for quite sometime; however, nothing has been done to alleviate traffic thus far. One fix would be to realign Kamehameha Highway so that parking is on the ocean-side. But because that would take many years, there has also been mention of a temporary fix – limiting or eliminating parking all together. I am pretty sure the community will not be happy about that, particularly because the winter surf season’s coming up, and tons of surfers will want to park there.

One solution could be utilizing the underground beach access that not many people know about. It is located on the right-hand side of the gravel parking lot. A dirt path leads down and under the highway, directly to the beach. From there, it is about a three-minute walk to the turtles.

Video Courtesy: YouTube/Eric Sterman

Posted by: Bruce Fisher on Aug 20, 2013