Four-year Wai'anae Coast water project begins
By James Gonser
Advertiser Leeward Bureau
The city Board of Water Supply this month started its nearly four-year, $47.5 million project to improve water service along the Wai'anae Coast.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
The project is divided into five phases running from near Honokai Hale along Farrington Highway to Makaha and includes upgrades to pipes in several neighborhoods and improvements to reservoirs, said Catherine Dungca, an engineer with the water department.
Installation of a 24-inch water main has begun on this section of Old Farrington Highway, mauka of H-1.
Work has already begun on placing a new 24-inch water main on a section of Old Farrington Highway now closed to traffic near the Barbers Point Reservoir.
Work will involve installing 8-inch, 12-inch, 24-inch and 30-inch water mains to replace corroded metal pipes that are up to 60 years old. If the old pipes are not removed, they will continue to burst, cutting off water service and causing traffic nightmares for residents driving on the only artery into and out of the area.
Wai'anae Coast residents have endured five water main breaks on Farrington Highway since July, the most recent a break in a 12-inch pipe last month.
In all, 13 miles of new pipes, mostly molded plastic PVC, will be installed during the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2004.
"The PVC pipes outlast the ductile iron pipes in highly corrosive areas," Dungca said. "PVC is lighter and easier to install, which shortens the construction period. It is cheaper, and we expect less failures."
The new PVC pipes are expected to last 60 years, she said.
Work was originally planned to begin in January, but was pushed back when the contractor experienced delays in ordering and shipping materials. Most of the valves and fittings are made on the Mainland, Dungca said.
Wai'anae Coast Neighborhood Board member Patty Teruya said the project is going to be disruptive to drivers when traffic lanes are closed, but it will be worth it in the long run.
"It is going to be a pain, but within four years it is going to benefit us to have better-quality service, pressure and water," Teruya said. "I was one of the ones grumbling about traffic impact, but for the long range, for my children and grandchildren, I think it will benefit the whole Leeward Coast."
Construction for all five phases is scheduled consecutively to minimize traffic disruptions and inconvenience, Dungca said. The five phases of work along Farrington Highway include:
- Phase 1: New 30-inch and 24-inch waterlines from Kalaeloa Boulevard to Ali'inui Drive, awarded to Delta Construction. Construction is scheduled from April 2001 to June 2002.
- Phase 2: Phases A and B: New 8-inch, 12-inch and 24-inch lines from Hakimo Road to Haleakala Avenue, scheduled for night work from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., Mondays through Saturdays. Construction will run from October 2001 to December 2002.
- Phase 3: New 8-inch and 24-inch waterlines from Kaulawaha Road to Jade Street, scheduled from August 2001 to July 2002.
- Phase 4: New 8-inch, 12-inch and 24-inch lines from Jade Street to Lawaia Street, scheduled from March 2003 to February 2004.
- Phase 5: New 12-inch and 24-inch lines from Ali'inui Drive to Haleakala Avenue is also proposed for night work. The schedule of completion is from July 2003 to December 2004.
The section of Farrington Highway between Hakimo Road and Kaulawaha Road will be replaced starting in 2005.
