MAKAPU'U — After nearly 10 years of planning, the state has started work on a new lookout, parking lots and roadside improvements along the Ka Iwi shoreline — the last undeveloped stretch of coastline in East O'ahu.

Construction on the $5 million project includes a new access road onto Kalaniana'ole Highway, two parking areas, removal of utility poles in the area and lookout areas that conform to standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The work is expected to be completed by next May.

"Ultimately this will provide for safer exit/entry onto Kalaniana'ole Highway and will eliminate the dangerous on-street parking," said Peter Young, state Department of Land and Natural Resources chairman in a prepared statement.

It's all part of a master plan for the area that will improve the scenic lookout at Makapu'u Point and the walk up to the Makapu'u Lighthouse by taking the cars off the roadside and building two parking lots. Buses will only be able to pick up or drop off passengers, not park in the lots.

The plan is the culmination of hundreds of hours of work between the state, community groups and individual citizens.

"It's been a long haul for this," said Dan Quinn, state Department of Land and Natural Resources parks administrator.

Anna Hoover, a member of the Ka Iwi Action Council, a group that was formed to place the property in the public domain and to keep it in open space, said the improvements are necessary for safety and will preserve open space.

"It's nice to know that they're going ahead and finishing it up and getting rid of the power lines," Hoover said. "Even with the improvements the area will remain open."

The Ka Iwi Scenic Shoreline is a 354-acre park spanning from Queen's Beach to Makapu'u Head. At one time Henry Kaiser, the developer for much of Hawai'i Kai, had planned a resort for the area.

The Sierra Club supports the state's efforts, calling it a balancing act between safety and wilderness.

"The whole purpose of the project was to keep development out of there, but at the same time there is a safety issue," said Jeff Mikulina, Sierra Club executive director. "It's all about balance between open space and development."

The state plans to remove seven utility poles along the makai side of Kalaniana'ole Highway and five off-road poles and place the lines underground. In future projects, the state plans to restore and make accessible for viewing a segment of the historic King's Highway that parallels Kalaniana'ole Highway.

The roadside lookout and the inland service road to the lighthouse will be closed during construction, and a temporary pedestrian access for hikers on the lighthouse road that avoids the construction zone will be built. Motorists are advised to expect congestion with the closure of the Waimanalo-bound lane of the two-lane highway.