Tantalus project to fix lane, erosion problem
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
The city plans to spend $700,000 to repair a Tantalus road that an eroding hillside has slowly nibbled away for more than 30 years.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Kala'i'opua Place is now a one-lane asphalt road used by seven families to reach their homes. But at one time it was two lanes wide with a guardrail and concrete posts.
Councilman Rod Tam says it's worth $700,000 to repair a road used by few households because the city might be held liable for losses caused by Kala'i'opua Place's hazards.
Residents are concerned that the road does not provide safe passage to their properties and that further erosion will eventually make it impassable to vehicles.
Kala'i'opua Place resident Charles Wichman has been living on the street since 1967 and watched as the road has narrowed.
"The hillside has been sloughing off for years," Wichman said. "When you look at it now, the guard railing is gone and the cement posts have all fallen over parallel or slipped down the hill. The shoulder is eating into the pavement."
In response to residents' concerns, the city plans to install earth-reinforcing walls to stabilize the slope, build a bridge where erosion has undermined the road, place a new guardrail where the road is wide enough and repave the entire 850-foot street.
The city Department of Design and Construction filed a draft environmental assessment last week with the state Office of Environmental Quality Control for the project.
City Councilman Rod Tam said it may sound like a lot of money and effort for a road used by just a few households, but it is a city responsibility. The city also could be sued if an accident was caused by the condition of the road, Tam said.
The city wants to restore the pavement width to 10 to 11 feet, move utility poles to areas with adequate road shoulder and do a formal transfer of the land from the state to the city.
Construction is expected to begin in July and take about nine months to complete. During the work, access to homes will be limited, but Wichman said it will be worth the increased dust, noise and traffic to make the road safe again.
To submit a comment on the Kala'i'opua Place project, write to the city Department of Design and Construction (attn: Kenneth Lai), 650 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813. Include copies for consultant Engineering Concepts and the state Office of Environmental Quality Control. The deadline is April 7.
"They don't have any choice," Wichman said. "It is so narrow, they just have to do it. Somebody could slip off the edge and it's down 100 to 150 feet. It's pretty steep."
Public input
The street is within the state conservation district; improvements will be subject to conditions stipulated in the permit for conservation district use.
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
