By Desiree Salas (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Jun 25, 2015 06:07 AM EDT

A billion-dollar construction project involving the building of a 18-story observatory on Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island was halted in the wake of a demonstration staged by hundreds of protesters.

"Hundreds of protesters on a Hawaii mountain road erupted in cheers Wednesday after construction crews turned around and retreated from the site for what would be one of the world's largest telescopes," NBC News reported. "Work on the Thirty Meter Telescope has been stalled for months after a large group blocked access to the mountaintop in April, a demonstration that led to 31 arrests."

Protesters climbed the 9,200-foot elevation and made roadblocks about 100 yards apart "so when authorities dispersed one group, another was ready to stop the vehicles," Khon2.com said.

"Vehicles inched their way to the top as officers tried clearing the path. The protest started peacefully with only one protestor arrested by the Hawaii Police Department," the news source added.

The protest lasted about 6 hours and finally concluded when the protesters and state authorities reached an agreement. Construction vehicles later went down the mountain.

The chair of the TMT International Observatory Board, Henry Yang, had expressed hopes that those behind the Thirty Meter Telescope project and the locals can eventually "work together to find common ground."

"We want to acknowledge and reach out to those who disagree with our project. We respect their views," said his statement about the recent protest and ensuing delay in construction.

Hawaii's Mauna Kea is said to be a most viable site for one of the world's largest telescopes as its summit is close to 14,000 feet above sea level and thus can provide clear sky views for about 300 days in a year as it rises above the clouds. However, the Mauna Kea's summit is also considered by native Hawaiians as sacred. The construction also prompted concerns about its impact on the mountaintop's ecology, Business Insider said.

"If it's built, TMT could reveal parts of the universe we've never seen. And the dry and cold air on Mauna Kea will produce the sharpest images yet of the parts of the universe we've only glimpsed," the news source explained. "And while you'd think an observatory wouldn't be that destructive, the impact of the construction project on the fragile, remote mountain top could have consequences."

Although locals have been protesting the construction of telescopes on Mauna Kea, the area is already home to 13 telescopes. However, it was only this year that demonstrators managed to get international attention for their efforts, thanks in part to the use of social media.

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