Demolition underway at landmark Hawaii lighthouse.
Demolition of the historic Kauhola Point Lighthouse began Friday in what could dramatically change the landscape on Big Island’s Kohala Coast.
Not long after the concrete structure was erected, Kauhola Point began to erode, taking with it the last of nine major lighthouses built in Hawaii.
“We just don’t have the budget to save it,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Cesar Acosta said. “It has to come down.”
When it was originally constructed, the lighthouse was 80 feet from the shoreline. Now, it’s less than 20 feet. The point’s erosion started slowly until the earthquake of 2006 took off about 6 feet all at one time.
The demolition is to take three to five days. The Coast Guard has already installed a new, more modern navigational aid that sits farther inland, but some residents said it’s just not the same.
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