Posted on: Friday, April 7, 2006
Readers tell their pothole stories
Need an extra hubcap?
I live in Wai'anae, and during the big rain we just had, you could not see where the potholes were.
From Wai'anae as you approach Nanakuli, right before Hakimo Road, I hit a very large pothole which sent my left front hubcap across the street.
I figured I'd look for it after work. Well, to my surprise, I found five other hubcaps at the same area. Unfortunately, none was mine.
Here's the kicker. The next morning, while going to work, I hit another pothole in a similar area, and my right front hubcap went sailing to the right of the steel barrier. Again, I figured to look for it after work. I did just that and guess what? I found four more hubcaps this time! Mine was one of them, damaged beyond recognition.
So what did I do? I removed the back two hubcaps and painted my rims silver. My little work car looks spiffy now, and I don't have to worry about losing any hubcaps. Bottom Line? Yes, we have many, many potholes in the Wai'anae Area. I guess the whole island has the same problem. — Al Mejia
I live in Kane'ohe and work in Manoa, and every road I take to get there is filled with potholes.
The problem is that the workmanship in Hawai'i is so poor that when the roads are fixed, the repairs only last for a short time.
The Pali was paved a couple a years ago, and it has decayed back to the way it was before the repaving. The city paved one lane of the Pali with concrete, but in Nu'uanu they must not have put any rebar in the concrete, because it is already broken up, and it is impossible to drive on it unless you have a bus or a Hummer.
But we should not be surprised that the roads are so poorly maintained. The schools, public buildings, parks and any other part of the infrastructure are without maintenance. Even if one travels to a poor state, they will not see roads like ours. Hawai'i's motto is to give us high taxes, but don't expect anything in return.
— Norman Dodd
All the way down Ala Moana Boulevard, there are more holes than than a foursome golf party out for two rounds. Early-morning traffic gets congested, as usual, and the pothole obstacle course gets a lot more difficult to navigate.
Sometimes potholes creep up on you, as they appear from beneath the jostling car in front of you, there are black holes that seem to suck you in and you can't avoid, and there are those hidden holes that appear to be wet pavement, but in actuality, are abysses waiting to engulf your tire.
Me? I suffered the wrath of all three varieties of potholes in the past several days. Friday morning, my left front rim and tire fell victim to the latter of the Terrible Three.
The damage was done the same day I was planning to renew my car registration. Later, I joked with the friendly staff that my extra penny per pound this year better go to fix those potholes.
— Thomas E. Gaupp
Between the Waipahu on-ramp and the Waimalu off-ramp eastbound are potholes from recent rains ... patchwork hasn't been working since they first started (last 30 years?). This contributes to slow traffic, i.e., avoiding these mounds of patchwork and peeled-off asphalt. Going westbound after the Sears Distribution Center ... they just fixed the hole in the middle lane about a week ago ... the hole is back, and getting larger.
Oh, well ...
— T. Marino
More like CRATERS! The city and county and the state are patching, but what is needed is a complete repaving of most of the major streets and highways all over the island.
When the city and county requires contractors to pave curb to curb after installing certain types of utilities, but does not do it themselves when they install sewer lines, that is beyond me.
Check out Hamakua Drive in Kailua. The entire street needs to be rebuilt from end to end, curb to curb. Thanks. — Lloyd P. Ignacio
Aloha. There's a serious pothole immediately coming off the freeway on the Wilder exit.
I have taken that exit twice (at night) and its a very deep ... but short ... drop! So deep that my CD player stops playing for about three seconds. And its suppose to be shock-absorbent. Anyway ... it feels and sounds really bad, and I fear any more hits like that will definitely throw my wheels out of alignment. Hope you guys can fill it fast. Mahalo. — Derek Kalani
Aloha. Hickam Air Force Base exit, eastbound, there are several potholes. One is as significant as 3 to 4 feet wide, which makes it almost impossible to avoid, thus damaging vehicle suspension and alignment. It is about 10 feet after taking the exit.
Mahalo for your cooperation in this matter.
— Rose Marie Ader
Potholes on Linapuni are so big that a guy fell in and was never seen again!
— Gregory and Ryan Franklin
Aloha Advertiser. I was on my way to pick up my fiancé from work. I was headed 'ewa-bound on Ala Moana Boulevard in the far left lane, passing the Ward Theater intersection, and hit a pothole about 1 to 2 feet in diameter and at least a foot deep.
It jerked my van, almost causing an accident. My wheelcover went flying, and I was not able to find it. In addition, my left front tire now has a slow leak.
I recently had my tires replaced (used) in January from the same problem.
I can't afford to get new tires, and I certainly cannot afford to get in an accident.
— John E. Myers
Dear Advertiser, I'm an avid cyclist and I live in Waimanalo. While riding on one of the most heavily used cycling routes in Waimanalo, I hit the pothole of the century. It is near the wastewater treatment plant.
There is a section of road which always floods during rain because it is one of the speed dips. In this puddle, about 25 feet long, lies an enormous pothole. I estimate the depth to be about 6 to 8 inches deep. As I was riding with a partner, I slowed to be cautious in the puddle, and my wheel locked up. I flew head over the bars straight to my forehead so quickly my hands had no cuts at all.
My prescription sunglasses cut my eyelid. The side and bottom of my nose split, and they had to be stitched. Fortunately I broke no bones, but I broke my prescription glasses, which will cost me $370 to replace.
— Brandon Lima
On our first sunny Sunday in weeks, we decide to celebrate by loading up the kids and taking them to their favorite hangout: Pizza Hut.
Knowing that the roads are in horrible condition, we dare to venture, driver and passenger keeping a watchful eye out. We successfully avoid potholes in all shapes and sizes: from tiny pockmarks of torn gravel to craters of exploded pavement longer than our car.
We do this all the way from 'Aiea Heights Drive to the Nimitz exit, under the freeway, and into Moanalua Shopping Center. But that Pizza Hut is closed.
Strapping on our superhero belts, we decide on the long shot: Mapunapuna. And this time, we decide to travel the newly renovated roads past Radford High School and the old Costco. The pristine paved streets lull into us a false sense of security, and we momentarily lapse in our watchfulness.
BAM!
The car plunges into a tire-circumference-size pothole hidden in the shade of an overhanging tree branch, neatly flattening our tire in 15 seconds. Inside, we all, too, instantly deflate. Limping along, we pull into the next side street and succumb to spending our first sunny Sunday, sitting on the side of the road on the phone with Roadside Assistance, waiting an hour for the tow truck.
— Jacqueline M. Burkett-Erice
Shannon Ota reports that her friend hit this pothole on Meheula Parkway in Mililani. The pothole was hit on March 30, a Thursday night. I am unsure of the size of the pothole.
Damage: Rim completely bent and destroyed. Hubcap lost (but recovered).
— Shannon Ota
Last May 5, at about 10 a.m., I blew my left rear tire on a large, deep and& sharp-edged pothole in the right lane on Kalaniana'ole Highway by the Niu Shopping Center while kokohead-bound.
The road was repaired last January/February 2005 time frame after the heavy rains then. The tire was not repairable, so I purchased a new one. There was a private contractor within two days of my incident, on the job at that site, repairing the huge pothole.
I filed a claim with the city on May 13. Within a couple of weeks, the city got back to me with some detailed questions. After some finger-pointing, the city called me and stated that it was a state responsibility. The claim, they said, was now in the state's hands. On May 24, the state got back to me via a letter saying they had the claim. Then, finally on August 12, a letter said the state has no legal liability. They added in part: "The fact that damage occurs on state property does not automatically make the state liable for the damage. Unfortunately, the state had neither any knowledge nor notice of the hazardous condition when your accident occurred. Therefore, the state was unable to take any action in preventing your accident.
"The law makes the state of Hawai'i liable only for losses incurred as a result of the negligence of its employees."
Under these circumstances, I don't know who can ever collect for repairs due to severe pothole or any other road hazards. All the state or city has to say is "We didn't know about it." After a city mediator was involved, the same conclusion was reached. The issue was closed this month. Hope my experience saves someone else a lot of grief. — Ed Rapoza
There is a pothole on Metcalf Street near the 7-Eleven store where on Sunday, April 5, someone put an orange traffic cone in it to help motorists see the hole. The problem is that the hole is so deep that only the top 5 inches of the cone sticks out above the ground.
— Clinton Char
I didn't hit it, a city bus did. And yet another cost the city will have to pay for all this rain and poor road conditions.
Location: corner of Kalaniana'ole Highway and Lunalilo Home Road, coming from town, turning left onto Lunalilo. There used to be only one pothole. Now there are three right in a row, and another started about 10 yards before them.
I was sitting at the light, waiting to come across Lunalilo, and I heard a loud noise to the right. It was a city bus junking through the potholes. Cars can move over toward the center a little to avoid them, but because of their width, the buses can't. Yikes!
— VCSMK
Aloha. Just saw the front-page clip requesting pothole stories and thought I'd offer mine. I first must go back to a year ago. I hit a large pothole on Mokapu Boulevard (three-fourths of the way between Aikahi Park and Kalaheo High School) and blew out my front tire, cracked the front rim and severely bent my rear rim. The rear tire did not puncture, but I later discovered it needed to be replaced because the bead was broken.
Costs were estimated at $1,000 due to the custom 19-inch ADR Sterling rims and high-performance tires. I submitted a formal letter, documentation from a rim specialist that they could not be repaired and an estimate of replacement costs to Mayor Mufi Hannemann's office, along with a detailed description of the incident and location.
I received a letter back from one of the mayor's grunts saying they were not responsible — literally, as straightforwardly as that. They offered a few technicalities that ensured I would not pursue it further. I wrote back once again saying I supported Mufi in his campaign for mayor and trust me, never again. No return note.
They really care in that department about our/my woes, and votes I guess. I now have a 2006 car with less than 1,000 miles with custom rims and tires, and hit a pothole last week in the rain on Kainalu northbound. Once again, a brand new rim is severely dinged, and it ripped a chunk of the bead off a high-performance Continental tire. I did not prepare a report because of my faith in the inefficiencies of the mayor's office in this area of service. Can anyone find out if anyone in the mayor's realm (friends, family, peers or co-workers) have been reimbursed for their city road damage? Please have them come forward and further justify my confidence in the system. — Frank B. Smith, Kailua
While there are multiple potholes on H-1 now, the potholes I find most dangerous are those on Kamehameha Highway in 'Aiea, Pearlridge, Pearl City and those on the H-1 on-ramp from Fort Weaver Road as you turn off Farrington Highway.
On both those roads, it reminds me of navigating a slalom course or a race course — but at night and in the rain, it spells danger due to decreased visibility and risk of hitting another car while executing evasion procedures. Solution?
Need to talk to Transportation and work out a schedule to fix them ASAP. Publish the schedule via newspaper and TV news stations so folks can vary their routes. Limit night driving, especially during wet road conditions. Thanks for asking.
— Col. Rita Richardson, U.S. Air Force Reserve
Big ones on Kamehameha Highway, 'Aiea, fronting KFC. Big ones all along Kamehameha Highway through Waipahu. Huge crater in front of Newtown Square. We saw a motorcycle hit one and lose control and get hit by the car behind him this past Sunday.
— Ray Edwards
Aloha. So glad to see someone interested in these potholes. Yes, I know its taxing on us and the city to get every pothole filled, so I don't even think they'll be able to find mine.
I work in Halawa Valley in front of the prison, behind the Pepsi offices. Every day I drive to work, I think about that big pothole right in front of our driveway. There's no way to avoid it, otherwise you won't be able to pull into the parking lot.
Slowly I approach it, dip in, splash, crawl out. Wondering what it's doing to my tires.
Since we don't have the heavy traffic other roadways have, I feel we're not going to get the attention.
So, thanks for the outlet in letting me post my grievances.
— Howard Perofsky
Many potholes on Amana Street, too many to mention, in front of 747 Amana, between KGMB and Pagoda, basically the whole street.
— Jeff
There is a large and deep hole on Ala Napunani Street near the fire station at the circle drive. It is deep enough for a car to get its wheel stuck in it. Mahalo.
— Kazuogg
I travel on Nimitz and Ala Moana Boulevard to get to work in Waikiki. Fronting Restaurant Row until the Hawai'i Prince Hotel Waikiki is like traveling on a roller-coaster, weaving in and out, trying not to hit the potholes, especially in the center lane, right after Pi'ikoi Street.
That boulevard is heavily traveled, so anything you can do would be appreciated. Thank you.
— Shelley T. Okubo
What do the taxes go for?
Victimized by the Terrible Three
Patchwork doesn't suffice
Rebuild it all, from end to end
Stop the music
A monster near Hickam
How big was that pothole?
Tires take a beating
Cyclist takes a tumble
A sad sunny Sunday
A friend takes a hit
My friend hit a pothole on Meheula Parkway in Mililani, right before the intersection by Ruby Tuesday's.
No luck on collecting compensation
Now that's a deep pothole
The bus can't avoid it
He can't beat City Hall
It's like a slalom course
Talking about the big ones ...
It's a taxing situation
They're multiplying
Watch out for this one
Fake to the left, fake to the right
