Posted on: Monday, March 21, 2005

State seeks fix for traffic tie-ups

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer

HAWAI'I KAI — State transportation officials are working on making traffic flow smoother from East Honolulu onto Kalaniana'ole Highway during the morning commute.

Rod Haraga, state Department of Transportation director, said options include:

• Making two right-turn lanes from Lunalilo Home Road onto the highway;

• Making a dedicated left-turn lane off Kalaniana'ole Highway into Koko Marina Shopping Center;

• Adding another town-bound lane on Kalaniana'ole Highway from Keahole Street so that motorists can make a right turn without stopping in the far right lane.

These are just three of a series of quick fixes that wouldn't cost a lot of money and would improve traffic flow, Haraga told a crowd of concerned citizens last week at Kalani High School cafeteria.

In the mornings, traffic backs up for a least a mile on all the main roads leading out of Hawai'i Kai, Haraga said.

Traffic has become a big issue for residents in East Honolulu as they have had to grapple with a sudden growth spurred by development of more than 1,800 homes in the past five years. That means an additional 3,600 cars on the road, Haraga said.

"No matter how many lanes we build or what we do, we can't get rid of congestion," Haraga said. "The question is what are we willing to tolerate and how much are we willing to pay for it."

In Hawai'i Kai, these projects would ease congestion during the morning commute, but have yet to be financed by either the city or the state.

Rep. Bud Stonebraker, R-17th (Hawai'i Kai-Kalama Valley), had asked the state Legislature to approve a $1.7 million capital improvement budget for the first two items, but the measure failed to receive a hearing.

Haraga said he hoped that the money would come through so the projects could be done during 2006.

"I think that whole section of the median from the gas station to the shopping center (at Koko Marina Center to the Union 76 station) has to go," said Eve Anderson, a Waimanalo resident, who regularly drives through the area. "All along the highway, it's all jammed up."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.