So far the city has spent $28.7 million on the project and finished 6,800 feet of work, including from Aumoe to Kailua Road to South Kalaheo Avenue. About $17 million has been awarded for new work and the city wants $14 million more to complete all of Kalaheo Avenue. About $15 million will be needed to complete rehabilitation of sewer lines from Mokapu to the treatment plant for a total cost of $74.7 million.

Weary residents have coped with noise, dust, traffic congestion and foul odors. Some say the improvements are worth it. Meanwhile, others watch and wait as the work approaches their areas.

Many people have a jaundiced view of the project, said Kailua Neighborhood Board chairwoman Kathy Bryant-Hunter.

"People at this point are not convinced it will ever end," Bryant-Hunter said.

She said there had been concerns about how construction sites were maintained, dust and debris, and safety issues.

The project has been plagued by delays. One lasted two years as the city got rid of the first contractor, said Eldon Franklin, wastewater division chief for the city Department of Design and Construction. The city has now decided to phase out the second contractor.

Contract troubles

Ray Aranaydo, left, uses a remote-controlled crane to send casing to Casey Fretwell in an excavated section of Kalaheo Avenue, where Westcon Microtunneling continues with sewer-line improvements. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

A new contract was given to Westcon Microtunneling in 2002 but Westcon got into trouble when it started running into steel plates left behind in the 1960s when the line was first installed using a trench, Franklin said, adding that the company also had difficulty with its pits.

"They kept struggling to the point we negotiated with them to finish up as much as they could and give up their rights to the project," he said.

Westcon also suffered a delay and financial setback when Frank Coluccio Construction Co., which had lost the bid on the contract to Westcon, sued Westcon over contract issues. They settled for $750,000, Franklin said. That delayed the project for nine months but Westcon was able to obtain a one-year extension on the project, he said.

Westcon expects to complete the major part of its work — 4,300 feet — from Kainui Drive to Dune Circle by the end of this month at a cost of $18.5 million. The contractor will still be wrapping up details for a while longer but the tunneling is completed.

Westcon project manager Roger Ellis said the underground metal, drilling through coral and the lawsuit slowed them down. At one point the company had to abandon a boring machine that got stuck in the ground and bring a new one in, Ellis said, adding that crews are attempting to remove the machine now.

"It was a difficult project," he said. "But it's been a good project. As far as the tunneling went, it was really good."

Ellis said there were complaints, but most residents were understanding, and the company tried to solve problems as they arose.

'Necessary evils'

Machines are everywhere on North Kalaheo Avenue at Kaluamo'o Street in Kailua, where sewer line work continues. Frank Coluccio Construction Co. is scheduled to install a 48-inch sewer line on North Kalaheo Avenue from Kaluamo'o to Ku'ulei Road by March 2006. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

David Moore has been after the company to cover a manhole for several weeks because the smell of raw sewage blows right into his home, where he works all day as a photographer. Moore said the little things like having his driveway blocked, then getting a ticket for parking on the road were irritating.

"It was one of those necessary evils you have to put up with," he said about the construction.

Patrick Chan empathized with the contractor, but thought the contractor could have been better organized and kept people more informed.

"In the beginning they did a couple of things I really appreciated," Chan said. "They had pit meetings and invited neighbors to give comments."

Many of the residents found one good thing about the project. It kept traffic to a minimum, said Rose Contento.

"The only part that is good about it is we don't have traffic," Contento said. "We love that. There's a lot of speeding going on on this street."

Contento will have her peace for a while because the city doesn't plan to change the traffic pattern during the next phase of the project to be performed by Coluccio.

Confidence in Coluccio In construction that began last month, Coluccio will rehabilitate 1,800 feet of an existing 54-inch sewer line from Kainui Drive to Mokapu Boulevard, with work ending in May, Franklin said. The ambitious schedule calls for Coluccio to install a 48-inch sewer line on North Kalaheo Avenue from Kaluamo'o Street to Ku'ulei Road, ending that project by March 2006. Coluccio has been awarded $17 million for the two projects.

Franklin said he was confident that Coluccio would complete the job because the company has had many years of experience in Hawai'i.

"There's potential for problems but Coluccio is well-organized and safety conscious," he said. "They do good work and they have good quality."

The city wants an additional $14 million to install a 48-inch line from Ku'ulei Road to Kailua Road, and for connections to sewer lines on Kailua Road and Aumoe Street. In 2006 the city plans to begin the final phase of the project to fix the lines from Mokapu through 'Aikahi and to the wastewater treatment plant. That work includes rehabilitation of 3,400 feet of sewer lines at roughly $15 million, Franklin said.

The city wants to install a new water main on Kalaheo at the same time the sewer work is being done and expects to resurface the road once everything is completed, wrapping up the Kalaheo end of the project by October 2006.

The city and the contractor have taken steps to inform people, including handing out fliers and giving a presentation at the Kailua Neighborhood Board meeting Thursday.

Don Dymond, who owns Kalapawai Market on South Kalaheo Avenue and lives off of Kalaheo, said his business has suffered with the ongoing project and he expects it to get worse as the project gets closer to his store. Dymond said he's hoping the traffic management plan will alleviate the worst of the expected congestion.

"We realize the work has to go on," he said. "Just help us, don't hurt us."