Gov. David Ige said Tuesday there will be a “timeout” for about a week on the construction on the $1.4 billion Thirty-Meter Telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea, which has been the scene of protests by Native Hawaiian activists and their supporters.

At a news conference Tuesday, Ige said he has been in “meaningful discussions” with groups that have an interest in the telescope, including University of Hawaii and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs officials, who agreed to the temporary suspension of work.

“We agreed there would be value to have some further dialogue on Mauna Kea,” Ige said. “I do know it’s a significant project and this will give us some time to engage in further conversations with the various stakeholders that have an interest in Mauna Kea.”

Last week, Hawaii County police arrested and cited 31 people for trespassing and blocking work vehicles from reaching the construction site.

Protesters have been holding a vigil at the 9,000-foot level, objecting to the construction of what’s being billed as the world’s largest telescope. They say the mountain is sacred and that the 180-foot-tall project is too massive, threatening sacred shrines and burials and the island’s water supply.

The UH approved a sublease agreement for about nine acres leased from the state last year after the state Board of Land and Natural Resources approved the project in 2013. The BLNR approval came after a seven-year environmental review that featured more than 20 public hearings.

Astronomers say the Thirty Meter Telescope will be the most advanced and powerful optical telescope on earth, capable of viewing galaxies at the edge of the observable universe, near the beginning of time.

Although legal challenges are pending in court, the Land Board signed off on a notice to proceed with construction March 6, allowing construction equipment to be hauled to the site.