The original Pali "highway" went along much of the same route and portions of the old road still exist, although closed to vehicular traffic.

The "Old Pali Highway",[1] as it is now called, is noted in the popular culture of Hawaii for being a place with strong spiritual connections.

A large portion of the old highway was built over the ancient Hawaiian foot paths that traversed the famous Pali pass, which was the most easily accessible route to take from the Windward to Honolulu side.

This was because much of the Koʻolau range on the Windward side has steep cliffs that make it nearly impossible to traverse over safely.

Over time it was expanded with the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii in 1863, and the Kyoto Gardens of Honolulu Memorial Park.