Wilson Tunnels overhaul project to force detours

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

Work will begin this month on a $13.8 million, yearlong overhaul of the Wilson Tunnels on the Likelike Highway, the largest such project in the 46-year history of the trans-Ko'olau route, state officials said yesterday.

The project will require shutting down each of the tunnels for 30 days at separate times in the fall to install a new concrete roadway, Transportation Department spokesman Scott Ishikawa said.

During those times all traffic in one direction will be diverted to either the Pali Highway or H-3 Freeway.

Most of the other tunnel work, which includes repairing leaks, cracks, curbs and ventilation fans, will be done on week nights, he said.

"We think we can do the work with a minimal disruption to regular daytime traffic," Ishikawa said.

Some Windward residents disagreed.

"It's going to cause some major disruptions, that's for sure," said Larry Zdvoracek, vice chairman of the Kane'ohe Neighborhood Board. "The Pali Highway is already crowded, especially in rush hours. The H-3 isn't too bad, but then you still have to get mixed in with all the other traffic on Moanalua (Freeway)."

The work was originally scheduled to begin last fall but postponed so that it would not conflict with another major Windward project, the landslide prevention work at Castle Junction at the foot of the Pali Highway.

"We didn't want both the Pali and Likelike tied up at the same time," Ishikawa said.

Although the Castle Junction work will continue for at least four more months, transportation officials can start work on the Wilson Tunnels project March 22 because the contractor, Kiewit Pacific, agreed to do most of the work at night, Ishikawa said.

The major headaches for drivers will begin sometime in September, when the Wilson Tunnel in the Kane'ohe-bound direction will be closed for 30 days to allow the entire roadway to be built with concrete.

When that work is done, the Honolulu-bound tunnel will be closed for a similar 30-day period.

"The concrete repaving should last 50 years, compared to seven to 10 years for asphalt," Ishikawa said.

During the 14-month work period, there will be no contraflowing of traffic on Likelike Highway. Motorists will be required to use either the H-3 Freeway or Pali Highway instead, Ishikawa said.

"We haven't done any contraflowing since the H-3 opened," he said. "We've been using the new system for a while and haven't received any complaints."

The state Transportation Department also plans to cover the sides of the concrete tunnel walls with new ceramic tiles, similar to the ones on the H-3 Freeway tunnel.

The tiles can be cleaned easier and faster than concrete, allowing for fewer long-term shutdowns of the tunnels in the future, Ishikawa said.

The $13 million cost of the repair project is more than the original $12 million price tag to build them.

The tunnels were plagued by political controversy, cost overruns and delays, including one that was caused when a cave-in during construction killed five workers.

The first tunnel was opened to two-way traffic in 1958 and both tunnels were fully operational by November 1960 when retired Navy Capt. C.D. Edmunds, drove a brand-new jade green Volkswagen bug through one on his way to visit his son in Kane'ohe.

The tunnels were named for former Honolulu Mayor John H. Wilson, who was a contractor working on the old Nu'uanu Pali Road and a leading proponent of building the tunnels along with the Likelike Highway.

Even before the tunnels were open, though, the first maintenance problems started showing up.

"The once shiny white tile and concrete walls are dirt brown and stained from water seepage," said one newspaper report from April 1960.

The tunnels have been cleaned and repaired repeatedly since then, but the last major maintenance work was done in 1979, Ishikawa said.

Despite the cracks and leaks, "there are no major safety problems in the tunnel, but it's like a car: if you don't properly maintain it, you will have more problems eventually," Ishikawa said. "That's why we're doing the work now."

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