Road to top of mountain, site of disputed telescope, reopens
Jul 14, 2015, 1:48 AM
HONOLULU (AP) — The road to the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii’s Big Island has been reopened.
It had been closed after hundreds of protesters flocked to Mauna Kea to prevent construction of a giant telescope from resuming.
The University of Hawaii announced that the road was reopened on Monday afternoon after crews repaired grading and damage.
The Visitor Information Station and its restroom facilities will remain closed, but there are portable toilets and facilities on other parts of the mountain. A rule passed last week restricts overnight access to the road.
Gov. David Ige says the destructive actions of several individuals had rendered the mountain unsafe, and he’s pleased the road has reopened.
The around-the-clock protests have stalled construction of the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope.
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