Highway 132 Recovery Delays Due To High Temperatures - Why It Matters Bulldozers broke ground for Highway 132 on June 10th, 2019 to reestablish over three miles of roadway from lava flows from the 2018 Kilauea Eruption. There are two sections of Highway 132 each covered by lava flows over 1.5 miles in length. Highway 132 will be paved with 12 foot lanes and a 5 foot paved shoulder. The road will meet federal highway code, with work needing to be completed by October 5th for full federal reimbursement. However, work has reportedly run into issues due to high temperatures from pockets of lava. The County has requested a three month project extension from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In general, the thickest areas of lava are also the areas best able to retain heat. The thickest lava flows that Highway 132 crosses is in the lower section, near Green Mountain (Kapoho Crater), are roughly 66-82 feet thick. This is the area of Highway 132 that the FHWA extension is requested for. On August 7th, 2019 USGS-HVO reported that rock uncovered during “ripping” reached 752°F, and Dept of Public Works reports 553°F in the same rough area on August 13th. Pockets of hot material will complicate the application of the Asphalt Treated Base, the most commonly used asphalt in Hawaii is PG64-16. PG64-16 is designed for a maximum pavement temperature of 64°C (147°F) over an average seven-day period. The heated pockets of thick lava in the lower section of Highway 132 exceed these temperatures. The top 1.7 mile section of Highway 132 has had rough grading completed, and fine grading is ongoing and expected to be completed by the end of August. The application of an asphalt will follow, temperatures permitting. Once the fine grading is complete, the upper 1.7 mile road will be ready for application of an Asphalt Treated Base. The request to FHWA includes a request to open the upper section of Hwy 132 before the lower section. Mahalo to the Department of Public works for their assistance in this report https://youtu.be/VwqZindZFI8