Repaving Jaggar Museum Path, Deck Begins at Hawaii Volcanoes NP

Old West News: Repaving Jaggar Museum Path, Deck Begins at Hawaii Volcanoes NP
Repaving of the exterior observation deck area and pathways adjacent to the Jaggar Museum at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, part of the park's ongoing facility maintenance, is now underway.

The approximately 7,000 square foot repaving project will remove and replace the existing pavement in sections from the east side of the museum to the exterior museum bathrooms. Work began Aug. 22, 2011.

Continued access to the museum will be maintained throughout the project. However, not all of the entrances will be accessible at all times.

American with Disibility Act (ADA) museum access will be maintained throughout the project. A 10-person construction and interpretation crew will execute the work, direct pedestrian traffic and provide a safe environment for visitors.

Each phase of the project will see a portion of the area closed off by a safety barrier as old pavement is removed and new pavement is placed. An alternate temporary viewing area will be constructed to the west of the museum parking lot to alleviate pedestrian congestion.

Visitors are encouraged to use the Kilauea Overlook as an alternate viewing area for Halema'uma'u Crater. Construction is scheduled through September with a completion date mid-October, 2011.

Repaving will improve drainage, accommodate an expanded viewing area and extend the surface's life cycle by approximately 20 years. Every effort will be made to reduce the impact of the visitor experience, rangers said, but some inconvenience is, required to improve the park's visitor facilities for years to come.

The Thomas A. Jaggar Museum is located along Crater Rim Drive, three miles from the Kilauea Visitor Center. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. Built on the edge of Kilauea Caldera, visitors may enjoy spectacular views of the caldera and the main crater Halema`uma`u from this view point.

Prior to its opening as a museum on volcanology (the study of volcanoes and volcanic activity), the building housed offices for the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the scientists who monitor the volcanoes in Hawaii. Working seismographs and displays on equipment used by the scientists are exhibits in the center.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located on the island of Hawaii. The park displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution, processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with unique ecosystems, and a distinct human culture.

The park highlights two of the world's most active volcanoes, and offers insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and views of dramatic volcanic landscapes.