State will start temporary repairs on a section of Kamehameha Highway in Kaaawa washed out by high surf.

People going to the North Shore from the windward side can expect traffic delays for the next week while the repairs are going on.

The Department of Transportation said in a news release today that the northbound lane of Kamehameha Highway near Kaaawa Valley Road and Kanenelu Beach will remain closed and traffic will be contra-flowed in the southbound lane.

Repairs will start Saturday when crews will remove the damaged asphalt and guardrail, fill the area with controlled low strength material, install a new guardrail and repave the roadway. The work is estimated to be finished within a week, the DOT said.

The temporary fix will allow two-way traffic to resume while the state works on a long-term solution.

High surf on Thursday washed over the highway and damaged some of the asphalt and a guardrail in the area. Crews placed boulders in the compromised area to help prevent further erosion.

Drivers are asked to avoid the area if possible and drive with caution. Those who live on the windward side or the North Shore may want to consider driving through Honolulu and Wahiawa to get to their destination, the Transportation Department said. Police will direct traffic as long as the single lane closure is necessary.

“We are working to make the repairs as quickly as possible with the least amount of impact to residents, businesses and visitors,” said Ed Sniffen, HDOT Highways Division Deputy Director, in a news release. “We are expediting additional permanent projects that will address the shoreline issues in the area.”

The Department of Transportation completed emergency repairs last year to a section of Kamehameha Highway in Kaaawa between Trout Farm Road and Keo Place because of damage to the road because of wave erosion. The repaired road is about a half mile north of the area that washed out Thursday.