The City and County of Honolulu has started the process of removing the Haʻikū Stairs, commonly known as the "Stairway to Heaven" hike.
The popular illegal hike is made up of about 4,000 stairs that will soon be removed.
The stairs were originally built in 1942 to provide access to a military radio station during World War II. Hikers were allowed to legally use the stairs until 1987, when the U.S. Coast Guard closed access due to vandalism.
Decades of debate have surrounded the removal of the stairs, heightened by neighborhood complaints of trespassing and noise.
In 2021, the Honolulu City Council unanimously approved a measure to remove the stairs — citing safety hazards and unlawful entry onto nearby private property.
The city's announcement Wednesday, which included a Hawaiian blessing, marked the official start of the estimated $2.6 million project with Nakoa Companies to remove the stairs completely.
Councilmember Esther Kiaʻaina explained that the stair removal would bring relief to many people in the area.
“It is not a day of celebration, but I have to tell you it is a day that I woke up because it is a closure of an issue that has been kicked down the road for decades. And as far as I'm concerned, we have collectively made a decision for the good of the community,” she said.
“I know that there are going to be many people who are going to say that we are taking away something from them. This is a man-made contraction on a natural valley.”
Workers are beginning to prepare the structure now, and the physical removal of the stairs will begin at the end of April by using a helicopter to transport the pieces off the mountain.
Although the stairs will be completely removed, the landing and railings at the top of the mountain will stay.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi warned that the stairs will be particularly dangerous now that they are being prepared for removal. He urged people to stay away from the hike.
“The story is important as it relates to safety,” Blangiardi said. “They've already done some work on the stairs and bolts and stuff like that. So it was dangerous before if you want to attempt the climb it now, if anybody's out there washing, that would even be more so ... the last thing we want is something tragic to happen.”
Nakoa Companies will also be responsible for the re-vegetation of the area with native plants and protecting the surrounding environment.
The whole project is expected to take six months to complete.
How did we get here? Read previous coverage of the Haʻikū Stairs from HPR:
