Road projects ring in new year
| • | Steer clear of these roadways during construction |
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
If you thought construction made a mess of Hawai'i's roads in 2001, wait until you see what the new year has in store for drivers.
Nearly $100 million in highway construction and repair projects are planned in coming months. The backups could stretch from Moanalua to Moloka'i.
Some of the projects have begun; others are in the planning stage or bidding stage. Most of the money comes from the state's highway fund, which uses money collected from motorists to keep state roadways in good shape, said Marilyn Kali, spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation.
"There are quite a few projects ready to come on line in the coming months," she said.
One of the most visible — and perhaps aggravating — projects for O'ahu drivers might be the $7.2 million bridge replacement project at Halawa Stream along Kamehameha Highway near the Arizona Memorial landing.
When the work begins early this year, a contractor will build a detour road and a two-lane temporary bridge, then demolish and replace the existing townbound bridge, Kali said. The work also includes includes moving utilities; landscaping; and installing new guard rails, traffic signals, pavement signing, striping and markings.
In East Honolulu, work also is scheduled to begin this month on the long-planned replacement of a 16-inch water main on Kalani-ana'ole Highway from Kaimoku Street to West Hind Drive. During much of the work, expected to take about two years, portions of the highway will be limited to two lanes in each direction, Kali said.
"That's what we've done in the past there, and it seems to minimize problems," Kali said.
The Likelike Highway is in for a major overhaul, too. Beginning early this year, the state plans to resurface and rebuild much of the existing roadway and shoulder from Emmeline Place near Kalihi Elementary School to Wilson Tunnel. The work also calls for upgrading guard rails, adding concrete medium barriers, upgrading and replacing street lights, and building retaining walls. The project has a $14 million budget.
In all, nearly two dozen O'ahu road projects are set for the next six months. They include work everywhere from the H-1 Freeway to the Sand Island Parkway to the Mokapu Saddle Road.
On Maui, various repair and improvement projects along the famed Hana Highway will cost more than $17 million. On Kaua'i, almost $10 million worth of improvements are set to begin. And on Moloka'i, the big project will be a $3.5 million emergency replacement of the Kawaikapu Bridge.
The granddaddy of all the upcoming road projects, though, is on the Big Island. That's where more than $65 million has been budgeted in coming years for improvements to the Saddle Road linking Hilo and Kona. The work, expected to start by June, is administered through the Federal Highway Administration.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
