Nimitz contraflow lane planned
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
The state hopes to have a Nimitz Highway contraflow lane operational by late September, easing congestion for an estimated 3,700 drivers an hour who use the highway each morning.
Construction of the new contraflow lane is likely to cause some delays for Nimitz travelers in the next two weeks, officials said. • From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow: One 'ewa-bound lane will be closed from Hilo Hattie to the Weyerhauser building and from Sand Island Access Road to Ke'ehi Interchange. One townbound lane will be closed from the Weyerhauser building to Hilo Hattie. • From 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through next Friday: One townbound lane and the 'ewa-bound left shoulder lane will be closed from the Weyerhauser building to Pier 32.
Construction on several crossover lanes will begin Monday and should be completed within three months, Transportation Department spokesman Scott Ishikawa said yesterday.
If you're townbound...
The $1 million demonstration project will run for four months and, if successful, continue on a long-term basis. Ultimately, the state hopes to connect the Nimitz contraflow lane with the H-1 Freeway zipper lane, creating one continuous route for commuters heading into Honolulu.
"We want to see if it makes a dent in the congestion," Ishikawa said.
The project will convert one of the highway's 'ewa-bound lanes to townbound traffic from the Ke'ehi/Middle Street interchange area to Pier 32 near the Hilo Hattie store each weekday morning from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m.
The extra lane will be limited to cars with three or more occupants from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. and two or more occupants from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Transportation officials don't know how much time the extra lane will save commuters each morning, but "once people become familiar with it, it should be a little bit smoother drive for everyone," Ishikawa said.
Planners have long suggested creating a contraflow lane on Nimitz Highway, but the idea had been opposed by Kalihi residents, who feared it would create additional traffic in their neighborhood, and others who said it would limit access to businesses.
Ishikawa said that town-bound travelers in the contraflow lane will still be allowed to make left turns into Kalihi side streets.
However, left turns from the 'ewa-bound lanes toward the makai side of the community will be prohibited, except at Sand Island Access Road. Those drivers will have to make a right turn and circle around neighborhood streets in order to get across the highway, he said.
In addition, the state plans to hire at least two off-duty police officers to monitor and enforce traffic near Pu'uhale School to protect students crossing the highway near the contraflow lane.
The biggest cost of the program will be constructing four areas where motorists can cross into the new contraflow lane. That involves removing existing median barriers and building new access lanes. Other costs include installing crash barriers, signs and traffic signal hardware, and setting up cones each morning to divide the contraflow lane from oncoming traffic.
Most of the construction will be done at night or on weekends to keep highway disruption to a minimum, Ishikawa said.
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