Hawaii budget includes $13M for Waikiki Beach restoration

HONOLULU (AP) — The state budget passed by the Hawaii Legislature includes funding for repairs at Waikiki Beach.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Sunday that the legislature approved about $13 million for improvements to the crumbling Royal Hawaiian seawall and other man-made structures at the state’s most visited beach.

Officials say the funds are sufficient to shore up the Royal Hawaiian seawall and return a similar structure to Kuhio Beach, which officials said have been failing for years.

Waikiki’s overhaul is scheduled to start in late summer or early fall. Previously there was no timeline for replacing the structures protecting the beach from erosion.

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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com