Castle Junction contraflow work delayed by wet weather

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Heavy overnight rain delayed the start of paving yesterday on the median near Castle Junction, the state Department of Transportation said.

Instead, the work will begin today, weather permitting, said department spokesman Scott Ishikawa.

The job includes closing the left lanes in each direction on Kalaniana'ole Highway near Castle Junction from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

"It just rained too hard," Ishikawa said. "The weather is not giving us a break at this point. To pave, you need a dry area."

Work on the project began Jan. 14 and immediately was delayed. Strong winds that day forced Hawaiian Electric Co. crews to postpone their part of the job atop the hillside. They are finishing up this week, Ishikawa said.

That work is part of a $7.8 million landslide prevention project to pare down the dangerously eroding hillside at the intersection.

By the end of the six-month project, the steep hillside, ranked No. 5 on a list of sites where O'ahu motorists are at risk for landslides, will be transformed into a gently terraced slope.

Crews working around the clock will remove more than 240,000 cubic yards of dirt from the hillside.

Motorists are advised to use other routes today or allow for extra travel time during the day.

The median is being paved to create a contraflow lane through the area while the Department of Transportation shaves back the hillside at the junction to prevent rockslides.

Contraflow is scheduled to begin in two weeks and will run from 5:30 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. on weekdays during the six-month project, except on state holidays.

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.