Posted on: Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Roundabout test to proceed

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KAHALU'U — The state expects to build its first roundabout on O'ahu beginning in October, with Windward residents testing the pilot project by the beginning of next year.

The state Department of Transportation has submitted a request for bids for the Kahalu'u Demonstration Project to create a temporary roundabout at the intersection of Kamehameha and Kahekili highways.

If the estimated $350,000 temporary roundabout proves successful the state could move ahead with a $1.6 million permanent structure, said Scott Ishikawa, DOT spokesman. The department will evaluate the pilot project after about three months of use. If the roundabout doesn't work, other options will be considered, Ishikawa said.

"Some traffic control device will have to go in there eventually," Ishikawa said, adding that the heavy traffic at the intersection needs to be regulated and if the roundabout fails, then a light could be installed.

The island of Kaua'i is planning two roundabouts, Ishikawa said, adding that O'ahu state highways have no other suitable locations for another roundabout.

The Kahalu'u roundabout was a compromise when residents opposed installing a traffic signal at the intersection in 1998. But the circle isn't fully accepted in the community, though everyone agrees something needs to be done to slow traffic at the intersection to make it safer.

Kurt Mench, of the Kahalu'u Neighborhood Board, said the roundabout is a dangerous idea that will back up traffic during peak hours and cause confusion over who has the right of way, leading to collisions. A roundabout will add to problems, Mench said.

"Let's think about the whole area," he said. "Let's do something big to mark Kahalu'u instead of putting in a donut."

Mench said he's glad the project is just a pilot program, and he said he is sure the state will conclude it won't work. But the money spent won't be wasted, he said.

"They'll do a lot to the area to improve it," he said. "From that they can switch to whatever will work."

John Reppun, a Kahalu'u Neighborhood Board member, said some people are excited about the roundabout and confident it will solve the problems. But Reppun said he expects to learn things from the pilot project, which doesn't preclude other options.

The state and the community are discussing education programs to inform the public about how to use the circle, he said.

"The biggest hurdle that I see, is getting people to understand how they work," Reppun said.

Drivers will travel through the roundabout in a counter-clockwise direction, said Ishikawa, adding that the car in the circle would have the right of way.

The circle in Kahalu'u will be larger than the one in Salt Lake, with an 80-foot-wide center and a 20-foot-wide circular roadway. The speed leading up to it is 35 mph and the circle speed will be about 20 mph, he said.

The Kahalu'u project will require moving bus stops and a street light and widening the road. Plastic curbs or temporary asphalt will mark the circle and stripes will be painted on the road, Ishikawa said.

O'ahu's other roundabouts have been built by the city.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.