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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, November 17, 2005

BUREAUCRACY BUSTER
Tunnel project continuing

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. Why are the Kane'ohe-bound lanes of the Wilson Tunnel closed again at night sometimes? I thought the state just got done with a huge renovation project. But now I'm back to not knowing if I can drive home after 8 p.m. on some weekdays.

A. The state isn't done with the entire Wilson Tunnel project yet and drivers can expect nighttime closures through the end of the year, said Transportation Department spokesman Scott Ishikawa.

"Although the major work of the Wilson Tunnel improvements project — including pavement resurfacing, lane restriping, enhanced lighting and tunnel wall tiling, has been completed — minor work is still being conducted during overnight closures," he said.

Ishikawa said the project is taking longer because most of the work is being completed at night to minimize disruption for drivers.

There are still some leaks in the tunnel that need to be fixed, and the new floor of the tunnel is still being assessed, Ishikawa said.

"We did get a couple complaints from drivers who said they were still getting a bumpy ride," he said. So the state is checking the surface, and the contractor may be asked to shave it down after tests are completed.

Q. Would you find out when radio reception will be available again in the Wilson Tunnel? I thought this problem would be fixed by the time the repair work was completed. I also noticed that there was no radio reception in the Kane'ohe-bound H-3 tunnel recently.

A. State contractors plan to repair the radio antennas inside the Wilson Tunnel in the coming weeks while they work on other issues in the trans-Ko'olau tunnels, Ishikawa said.

No radio reception problems were found by highway inspectors in the H-3 tunnel in either direction during a recent inspection, he said.

HE'EIA FOLLOW-UP

State officials say the fishing boat that sank in August in a slip at He'eia Kea Boat Harbor was removed Nov. 9 at a cost of $19,454.05. Clifford Inn, of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said the state solicited bids to remove the 41-foot Onani Ke Kai and awarded the project to marine salvage company Cates International. That was after the vessel's last registered owner, Ritchie K. Edayan, signed over ownership to the state. Other Windward harbor users had complained that the boat lay half-submerged for months and debris was floating away.

If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways.

Write to:

The Bureaucracy Buster
The Honolulu Advertiser
605 Kapi'olani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96813

E-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com

Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message. Include your name and daytime phone number in case we need more details.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.