Posted on: Monday, July 5, 2004
Half of hillside work done at Castle Junction
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Work on the $7.8 million landslide prevention project at Castle Junction on O'ahu's windward side is about half done and should be finished by October, the company doing the work said last week.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser The company needs about 30 more full work days to complete the hauling portion of the work, Lambert said. On a full work day, the company has been taking about 300 truckloads of dirt from the site, he said.
"We plan to start planting grass seed on some of the completed areas by next week," he said.
The state Transportation Department is funding the project to reduce the chance of rockslides along the mauka-bound lanes of Kalaniana'ole Highway near the foot of the Ko'olau Range.
The project has been slowed by numerous weather delays, but is still ahead of schedule when the rain days are accounted for, Lambert said.
Lambert said the remaining work should have a minimal impact on traffic flow in the area.
"Basically, it's getting safer and better every day. We may have the few odd temporary lane closures, but we don't anticipate any major problems as we continue. It's pretty straightforward from here on in," he said.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com. • • •
"Basically, we've moved about half of the total 250,000 cubic yards that we're going to take from the mountainside and have begun terracing the slope to the way it will look when it's all done," said Art Lambert, O'ahu regional manager for Goodfellow Bros.
The company working on the landslide prevention project at Castle Junction expects to be finished by October. The project is ahead of schedule when rain days are accounted for, a company official said.
