The gravel road leading up to the summit of Mauna Kea has been cleared of the boulders and rock structures that protesters of the Thirty Meter Telescope project had placed in the path of construction crews Wednesday.

But the road remains temporarily closed until further notice.

The governor’s office said in a statement Thursday that the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan authorizes the University of Hawaii to close the road in the event of hazardous conditions and emergencies.

The road to the mountaintop is closed until further notice.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

“Questions regarding the grading of the road leading to the summit have also been raised during this time,” the governor’s office said. “It is routine practice … conduct regular road gradings twice a week to ensure the safety and integrity of the road.”

The Mauna Kea Visitors Center is closed until further notice.

Protesters prevented crews from reaching the construction site Wednesday, prompting the governor’s office to announce that the project was again on hold. A dozen people were arrested for obstruction.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that those arrested had posted bail and planned to return to the mountain that they say they’re protecting from desecration. Mauna Kea is a sacred site to Native Hawaiians.

Gov. David Ige had called a “timeout” in April after 31 people were arrested during protests of the $1.4 billion project. Wednesday marked the attempted restart of construction.