The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has a $1.1 million federal grant to replace the south and north loading docks at the Mala boat ramp, according to West Maui Rep. Angus McKelvey's office.
But the state is awaiting a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed.
McKelvey said the Mala docks are in bad shape.
Article Photos
The state has a $1.1 million federal grant to make improvements to the Mala boat ramp’s loading docks.
The Maui News / BRIAN PERRY photo
"There's rebar coming out of the loading dock area," he said Thursday.
He said he's urging the state to move ahead as soon as possible to award the project to a contractor.
The project includes restripping the ramp's boat wash-down area and parking stalls for which existing lines have faded away, he said.
"People are parking every which way," McKelvey said, with some motorists taking more than one parking spot.
The state representative said that the project does not include demolishing the crumbling concrete Mala Wharf, but he said that a community task force should be convened to discuss whether to rebuild another wharf and what it should look like.
The existing wharf structure has holes and gaps where concrete had been. The wharf is closed and fenced off, with a sign warning people to stay away because the structure is hazardous.
"It's got to be torn down," McKelvey said, adding that it's "dangerous and derelict."
* Mala Wharf boat ramp. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Oct. 4 for a $1.1 million project to replace the north and south loading docks at the Mala boat ramp. The state is finalizing construction plans, according to DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward.
A story published on Page A3 on Jan. 12 contained incorrect information on the status of the state's permit.
The Maui News apologizes for the error.
