When Does Coconut Island Reopen? The Waiākea Peninsula Is Swapping Out Its Old Parts

When can you walk out to Mokuʻola again? It's been almost a year since the footbridge to Coconut Island went down. The closure list from Hawaiʻi County Parks and Recreation still reads "Reopening date not established." In early October, though, the mayor gave the closest thing to a date anyone has had. It came at the same time as other visible changes on the peninsula. Large ironwoods are gone from Liliʻuokalani Gardens, and a banyan was cut down on Banyan Drive last winter.

These changes look like separate problems, but they share a cause. In each case something on the peninsula reached the end of its life and was taken out. A replacement is now planned for each one. Most have a timeline, and in one case the stumps were ground out so new trees can go in.

The Bridge Wore Out Before It Broke

The collapse happened on November 14, 2025. A County crew drove an 8,000-pound mini-excavator onto the bridge for maintenance work on the island, and a section gave way. According to Hawaii News Now, age and deterioration were likely the main causes. A report years earlier had flagged the bridge's structure, but as a pedestrian-only crossing it did not rank in the County's top 20 priorities. Mayor Kimo Alameda said taking equipment across had been routine "as far as I can remember."

The way back has two phases. First comes a temporary bridge, then a permanent one. The schedule has shifted over the year:

1. April 2026. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported the temporary span could take "up to two years," with the mayor "pushing to have this done within 18 months." The permanent rebuild was estimated to start in 2029, after environmental clearances, design and permits.
2. October 2026. The mayor told Hawaii News Now that work on the temporary pedestrian bridge could start "as soon as January." He said permits had taken months to obtain.
3. Next summer. The mayor said the temporary span could be ready "by June or July," with access "hopefully" restored by next summer. It is estimated to cost $1.5 million to $2 million.
4. The permanent bridge. It is estimated at about $20 million. The mayor said the County has "a promise of 80%" in federal funding and is "shooting for 100%."

The October target is about a year earlier than the outer edge of the April estimate. The mayor has also seen a preliminary design. "It's gonna be bigger. It's gonna be wider," he told Hawaii News Now. "I'm asking for lights." Until then, the shoreline facing the island is as close as you can get.

Liliʻuokalani Gardens Is Clearing Space for New Trees

Walk in through the southwest entrance of Liliʻuokalani Gardens and you'll find a patch of mulch where two large ironwoods used to stand. County spokesman Tom Callis told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald that about a dozen trees were slated for removal in this phase of the work. Crews have also been clearing invasive African tulip and gunpowder trees. "The primary reason for removal is rot, which makes those trees hazardous for park users," he wrote.

The project started with an assessment of the park's trees by a certified arborist. When the County announced the work in April, it planned a 45-day schedule starting April 13 across the 24-acre park. It took longer than that. Storms and wet weather slowed the crews, and they found more rotten trees once they started. By early October the County expected the work to run into late October. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported it was still underway on October 7. The estimated cost when work began was $164,000.

K.T. Cannon-Eger, president of the nonprofit Friends of Liliʻuokalani Gardens, called the work "long-deferred" in the Tribune-Herald story. She also explained why the crews went further than cutting.

"I'm very pleased that the work continued to the point of going right down to the ground, so that there may be some replacement trees planted in the future."

She told the paper that replanting is something she and park planner James Komata have discussed for the whole park.

Most of the garden is unchanged. The Friends' scenic features map still lists the Shoroan Tea House, Kushi's Arched Stone Bridge, the Wooden Pavilion Bridge and the Double Arch Bridge. The stone lanterns are still there too, including the Hiroshima, Niigata, Urasenke and Fukuoka lanterns. The Friends describe them as gifts from Japan and from Hilo's Sister Cities.

Banyan Drive Went Through This in February

The banyans along Banyan Drive went through the same process earlier this year. In January the County said a certified arborist had found structural instability in one of the 48 trees on the drive. It scheduled a contractor to remove that tree, with the southbound lane between Banyan Way and Kamehameha Avenue closed during the work. On February 6, Big Island Now reported that the stretch by Banyan Way and the Reeds Bay parking lot had reopened after a temporary closure over the compromised tree. Big Island Now later reported that County crews had removed one tree, and tree trimmers under a Public Works contract have been maintaining the other banyans.

The trees have long been tied to famous names. Ke Ola Magazine has written about the tradition of visitors planting banyans along the drive, with trees associated with Cecil B. DeMille, Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Taking down one tree after an arborist's finding is what keeps the rest standing.

The Loop This Fall, Stop by Stop

You can still walk most of the peninsula. Here's the status of each stop, from the most recent official or business source for each one.

According to a Big Island Visitors Bureau guide, Reeds Bay is a calm spot for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding and barbecues. At Ice Pond, at the mouth of the bay, a cold freshwater spring mixes with seawater. Suisan was featured by Hawaii News Now in April for its fresh catch, handmade poke and Hawaiian candy. That makes it an easy last stop before you walk back along Lihiwai Street. Hilo Bay Cafe is closed Sundays and Mondays, so on those days Waiʻoli Lounge is the coffee stop on the loop.

The Next Replacements Are Already Funded

Bigger changes are coming to the peninsula's interior after the bridge and the trees. In May 2026 the Legislature passed a bill creating the Waiākea Community Development District and an action committee. According to Big Island Now, the state set aside $1 million for a feasibility study and master plan, and the committee's report is expected sometime in 2027. The state budget also includes $14 million to demolish the former Country Club Condominium Hotel, $1.2 million for demolition planning and site remediation, and $1.5 million to close large-capacity cesspools. The former Uncle Billy's site is green space but remains closed to the public, and Mayor Alameda has said he would like it to become a park.

The walking route off the peninsula may also get longer. Hilo Bayfront Trails president Ron Terry told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald in July that about two miles of trail are finished. The nonprofit hopes to start an approximately one-mile segment in the western part of Wailoa River State Recreation Area. The Legislature allocated about $3 million for Wailoa Park, part of it meant for trails. In July, Terry said the segment could be usable "within the next two years," with no firm start date. The last finished section, Phase 2-A, connected downtown Hilo to the Bayfront soccer fields in 2023.

Next summer, if the schedule holds, the walk should start at Reeds Bay, go under the banyans, pass through a garden with new trees planned, and end where the old one did, on the bridge to Mokuʻola.

Before I sold real estate, I spent years as a home inspector, so I pay attention when an arborist's report or a bridge inspection decides what stays and what gets replaced. If you own on the Hilo side and want to talk through what's being planned around the Waiākea Peninsula, Kekoa Akana is glad to sit down with you. Schedule a Private Consultation whenever it suits you.