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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, September 30, 2003

State may consider 'Nimitz flyover'

 •  City Council to vote on light rail in October

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

If the new Nimitz Highway contraflow lane proves successful, the state may build an elevated two-lane road along the same corridor, state Transportation Director Rod Haraga said yesterday.

More than 1,500 vehicles used the contraflow lane yesterday morning in a successful opening of the new project, officials said.

"If it works for one lane, we'd be remiss in not considering trying something more," Haraga said.

Haraga told members of the O'ahu Metropolitan Planning Organization that a new "Nimitz flyover" might be a slimmed-down version of previous plans to double-deck the highway. The two-lane roadway would be reversible, carrying cars toward town in the morning and toward 'Ewa in the afternoon.

Although plans for an elevated roadway above Nimitz have been proposed and scrapped before, a $192 million version of the proposal remains alive in a long-term OMPO plan that governs future highway construction projects.

The elevated road could be built using existing state rights-of-way along the highway from the Ke'ehi Interchange to Pacific Street, the same two-mile span used in the new contraflow lane project.

DOT spokesman Scott Ishikawa said yesterday's opening of a four-month contraflow traffic project went well, with no major accidents or tie-ups. Ishikawa said, however, that there were a number of cars with only one occupant in the contraflow lane, which is reserved for vehicles with two or more people.

"We'll be monitoring that and issuing warnings this week," he said. Police citations could follow if violations continue, he said.

Transportation officials are hoping that the extra lane, open from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m., will increase the morning rush-hour capacity of the highway by 25 percent, moving traffic there more quickly and alleviating backlogs on other roads leading into Honolulu, including Moanalua Freeway and Dillingham Boulevard.

Waialua resident Carla Kishinami said using the new contraflow lane yesterday cut about 10 minutes off her normal 55-minute commuting time to downtown Honolulu and was about 30 minutes faster than during the recent bus strike.

"It was quick and pretty well marked," said Kishinami, who left her home at 6:15 a.m., dropped her husband off downtown a few minutes past 7 a.m., and doubled back to her job in Kalihi.

Ishikawa said the state will try to evaluate the effect of the contraflow lane on traffic in coming weeks and months.

If the lane proves successful, it will be made permanent. The next step would be to link the contraflow lane directly to H-1 Freeway's Zipper Lane, providing a continuous carpool route into town, Ishikawa said.

Building a Nimitz flyover would allow the contraflow lanes to be reversed in the afternoon, Haraga said. In the current project, the extra lane is added only in the morning.

Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.