WAILUKU, Maui — A year since two severe earthquakes shook Hawai'i, East Maui residents are still dealing with the aftereffects.

The Pi'ilani Highway along the backside of Haleakala is still closed, and unstable rocks and undermined roads and cliffs are waiting to be stabilized.

And a barricade across the highway remains in place, cutting off vehicle access between the remote Kaupo and Kipahulu communities.

Maui County officials said in March that the work — estimated in the millions of dollars — should be completed within two years.

The barricade will be removed when all road and other work are completed, officials said.

"Our engineers and department staff have been mindful of the hardship the two serious earthquakes caused to the rural communities of Kaupo and Kipahulu. In order to manage the immense planning and work, key staff have been assigned to guide our efforts," Mayor Charmaine Tavares said in a statement to The Maui News. "The coordination between the county, state Civil Defense and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is crucial and a key component of having the historical Pi'ilani Highway safe for increased passage again."

Tavares said although work is not completed, "the progress made is considerable."

The emergency measures have tested the patience of the residents. The barriers were repeatedly moved without permission, and many residents complained that they would rather take their chances with falling boulders than put up with an extended closure of their road.

Last October's quakes caused landslides and rockfalls along the narrow roadway that runs from Kaupo through Kipahulu to Hana.

Initially the Paihi Bridge between Kipahulu and Hana was closed because of damage. When a temporary bridge was installed in December, then-Mayor Alan Arakawa observed boulders across the road between Kipahulu and Kaupo and ordered the highway blocked at Lelekea to prevent tourists and residents from driving along the unstable cliffs.