Maui County is shutting down a section of Hana Highway in East Maui because of safety threats in recent weeks from falling rocks.

In a news release late Wednesday, the government announced it would be closing a section of the highway from Alelele Bridge to Lelekea Bridge, which will temporarily prevent drivers from traveling between Hana and Kaupo. The county says the closure could last up to a month while crews work to remove loose rocks and make the cliffside along the highway safe again.

The shutdown came after a car last week was damaged when mud and rocks slid down the cliff and onto the road. The driver wasn’t hurt, but the incident triggered the government to launch a safety evaluation, which on Wednesday officially deemed the cliffside along the road unsafe, according to the county.

The county says it’s putting up message boards in Kanaio and in Hana to alert drivers of the closure.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.