A cooperative effort between the state and County of Hawai'i has moved the project forward,

allowing the repair of the access road from Mamalahoa Highway to the hospital to be completed soon.

The Highways Division of Hawai'i County Public Works will resurface 800 feet of the access road, starting at the intersection of Mamalahoa Highway and ending at Kekealani, the District Court Building.

The work will take place between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The county will provide the expertise and manpower while the state will cover the costs of labor, equipment use and materials.

"We estimated construction would take several months to complete. However, after speaking with (Hawai'i) County Public Works, we were assured this job could be completed in a week and we quickly agreed to reimburse them to repair the road," said Russ Saito, comptroller, state Department of Accounting and General Services.

"The county has worked with the state in cooperative projects in the past. Naturally, we would partner with them in order to get this much needed project accomplished in a timely manner and with less cost than originally anticipated," said Bruce McClure, director of Hawai'i County Public Works.

In addition to serving the hospital, Haukapila Road is also the access to several state health agencies, the Kona Health Clinic, and Kekealani, the District Court Building.