Highway shutdown renews push for alternative Leeward route

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

For decades, Wai'anae Coast residents have been at the mercy of water main breaks, auto accidents and even hostage situations that tie up the only route to the Leeward Coast for hours.

And yesterday they came to a standstill again following a serious traffic accident that closed all four lanes of Farrington Highway from Honokai Hale to Kapolei.

Residents are again calling for the city to speed up plans to build an emergency access route.

Anticipated construction dates have come and gone, and now city officials say work on the first four sections could begin by the end of this year.

"The project is moving forward," city spokeswoman Carol Costa said.

Police closed Farrington Highway in both directions for about three hours yesterday after a police officer and a child were killed and five other people were injured in a head-on collision near La'aloa Street.

Cars were allowed to travel westbound on a shoulder lane by 11 a.m. The Navy also opened Kolekole Pass until 2 p.m. to help alleviate traffic.

Yesterday's crash closed Farrington Highway in an area beyond the reach of the emergency access road, but it was the kind of road closure that has plagued the Wai'anae Coast in recent years and focused attention on the need for the alternate route.

Over the years, one suggestion from the community was to build a roadway through the Wai'anae Range to Kunia. Called the Mauka Highway, it had been estimated to cost between $500 million and $750 million, but officials said it was cost prohibitive.

Then three years ago the city allocated money for a project to join back roads in the area to create an alternative access route in and out of the area.

The area is home to about 50,000 residents, according to the 2000 Census.

One of the worst traffic tie-ups occurred Jan. 27, 2000, during a police standoff situation. Police closed Farrington Highway for about two miles in both directions for more than eight hours, turning the highway into a parking lot.

"As long as there's no accidents, traffic won't really back up," said longtime Wai'anae resident Georgette "Jo" Jordan. "But if there's one little accident or just one stalled car, you're waiting all the way to Honokai Hale. ... Our community has grown, and Farrington Highway was just not built to handle that kind of load. It's our reality and it's not going to change."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.