Posted on: Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Tunnel under Pearl Harbor proposed

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

A tunnel connecting 'Ewa with Hickam Air Force Base at the entrance of Pearl Harbor could shave as much as an hour off the daily commute of West O'ahu motorists, said Rep. Rida Cabanilla.

Such a plan was discussed by the House Transportation Committee yesterday. A bill that advanced out of the committee provides $400,000 to look into putting a tunnel under Honolulu Harbor, but could be expanded to include the 'Ewa connection.

John Emmerson, a civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a part-time aide to Cabanilla, said after the meeting that it would cost about $170 million to build a tunnel between Iroquois Point and Hickam, a distance of about 3,000 feet. With an estimated 9,000 vehicles moving through the tunnel during a peak traffic hour, he suggested that a $2 toll could generate $26 million annually. Emmerson acknowledged his estimates do not include associated costs, including the purchase of right-of-ways and construction of thoroughfares connecting to the tunnel.

Nonetheless, Cabanilla, D-42nd (Waipahu, Honouliuli, 'Ewa), said she believes that given Emmerson's cost analysis, a private company could be enticed to develop such a project.

Cabanilla also wants to look at a tunnel that would connect 'Ewa with Honolulu Harbor near Sand Island. She estimated that such a project would cost $2.4 billion. Transportation officials have put the cost of a light rail project from West O'ahu into town at between $2 billion and $3 billion.

Scott Ishikawa, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation, said the agency is willing to look at the proposal but warned that DOT engineers believe the cost would be extremely high, as much as $500 million a mile, because of the sandy and muddy nature of the earth beneath the harbor. "The way the engineers described it, it would be like putting pylons on cream of mushroom soup," he said.

Costs aside, the state would also need to get clearance from several branches of the military to use Iroquois, the harbor and Hickam. The O'ahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, which oversees major state and county traffic projects on the island, conducted a similar study looking at the feasibility of a bridge at Pearl Harbor in 1993, according to Gordon Lum, OMPO executive director. Back then, Lum said, the Navy sent a letter "saying basically they're against it," citing concerns about sabotage.

Navy officials could not be reached for comment yesterday. Lum said that while military officials have been reluctant to allow state or counties on the Mainland to build tunnels and bridges along strategic waters, such permission could be granted but likely would require a strong lobbying effort on the part of the state's Congressional delegation.

Transportation Chairman Joe Souki, D-8th (Wailuku, Waiehu), said it makes sense to study all the possible alternatives that may help relieve traffic congestion for West O'ahu commuters.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.