Kailua dreading traffic woes

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

KAILUA — Congestion is a problem on Kainalu Drive, with commuting residents, parents shuttling children to class and many more students walking, bicycling or skateboarding to and from the seven nearby schools.

And it's going to get worse.

Starting in February when the city begins replacing sewer pipes on Kalaheo Avenue, traffic from that artery — the primary north-south route to Kailua Beach — will be rerouted onto Kainalu for the duration of the project, estimated at 14 months.

That will mean dozens more vehicles in the heavily traveled area, and residents are concerned about the long lines of cars, the safety of students and the noise that more vehicles will inevitably generate.

"This is such a small area, but there's a lot of traffic," said Wendie Nakama, who works in the office at Redemption Academy on Kainalu Drive. "It's jam-packed."

She remembers the last time Kalaheo was closed and traffic was diverted onto Kainalu: "It was like a parking lot here."

This will be at least the second time in recent memory that traffic from Kalaheo has been routed to Kainalu, a two-lane residential street with bike lanes and a broad, grassy shoulder but no sidewalks. It runs parallel to Kalaheo and along the back side of Kainalu Elementary School, which has about 600 students enrolled.

"That's where our kids walk, so that's a big concern," said Kainalu Elementary School principal Valerie Okihara.

At Redemption Academy, down the street, congestion is so bad that officials ask parents not to make left turns into the school.

City spokesman Doug Woo said the traffic plan was designed with neighborhood input.

"Knowing that the plan was put together with residents in the area tells you that was probably the best plan we could put together," Woo said.

Still, some Kainalu residents feel they shouldn't have to shoulder the entire effect of the traffic.

Diverting traffic to side streets "would really take the pressure off us" on Kainalu, said Chris Beddow, who has lived on the corner of Kainalu and Kainui for 11 years. "The way we look at it, if you live in Kailua, you're benefiting from the project, so other residents should bear some of the brunt of it."

But Nick Schiavo, construction manager with Carter Burgess of Honolulu, said closing Kalaheo for the duration of the project may be easier for residents to adapt to than changing the detour route every few weeks.

"For 14 months you know what the traffic route is," Schiavo said. "You won't have to guess every two weeks. It's just easier that way."

The contractor learned that lesson the last time they did work on Kalaheo and had to divert traffic onto side streets. This time residents were asked for suggestions on the best, most efficient way to detour traffic.

Construction will close the nearly 2-mile stretch of Kalaheo Avenue between Ku'ulei Road and Kainui Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday once work starts. Only local traffic will be allowed onto Kalaheo during those times. In the evening, the northbound lane on Kalaheo will be open, leaving the southbound lane available to store construction equipment.

The contractor and construction manager will discuss the details of the project at the next Kailua Neighborhood Board meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 in the Kailua District Park Multipurpose Room.

The existing 36-inch sewer line, installed more than 50 years ago, will be replaced with a 4,300-foot, 48-inch line from Kainui Drive to an area between Kaluamo'o Street and Dune Circle. The new pipe should help prevent sewage spills, correct hydraulic and structural problems and minimize bypasses and overflows, Schiavo said.

The contractor will install the new line using microtunneling, digging a pit about 500 feet deep and pushing the pipe through the ground, Schiavo said. The conventional way to install sewage lines is to dig a trench and lay the pipe along the street.

"This method will allow us not to rip up the entire length of the road," Schiavo said. "It won't be less expensive, but it's better for the neighborhood."

Ira Burnett, who has lived on Kainalu Drive for 15 years, was philosophical about the congestion to come. "I care about it, but it's necessary," said Burnett. "We'll just have a whole lot of traffic."