honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, January 17, 2004

$7.8M Castle Junction project ties up town-bound traffic

Advertiser Staff

Windward O'ahu motorists reported delays of up to one hour yesterday as work got under way on a $7.8 million landslide prevention project near Castle Junction, but officials said they don't expect those kinds of problems to be the norm during the next six months of work.

"It was awful. I can't tell you how many calls I got," Transportation Director Rod Haraga said. "It was frustrating, but it should be a one-time problem. I don't think it will be that bad all the time."

Contractors closed off one lane of Kalaniana'ole Highway in each direction yesterday, creating a town-bound traffic jam that stretched back for miles.

Haraga said the lane closures were necessary to help create room for an early morning (5:30 to 6:45 a.m.) contraflow lane that could begin as early as Monday. The contractor finished the contraflow preparations yesterday afternoon, he said.

Sen. Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Portlock), said his office received several complaints about the backlog.

The state plans to station two workers at the site starting next week who will be able to manually control traffic signals.