A newly repaved stretch of Ala Moana at the gateway to Waikiki was dedicated yesterday, wrapping up the next to last phase of a massive project started in 2000 to revamp the busy airport-to-Waikiki corridor starting on Nimitz Highway.

"Virtually every visitor to Waikiki uses this corridor," Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona said yesterday, at a blessing and dedication for the repaved thoroughfare. He added that the project will also help "the thousands of residents who live and work in Waikiki."

The portion of the Ala Moana street that was dedicated yesterday — from Holomoana Street to Kalakaua Avenue — was repaved by Hilton Hawaiian Village, which spent about $10 million on the project to resurface the thoroughfare, add a fourth eastbound lane from Hobron Lane to Kalia Road and install landscape and lighting improvements in time for the opening of its new Grand Waikikian tower.

Hilton agreed to make the improvements after requesting changes to the roadway, partly to accommodate increased traffic to the Grand Waikikian.

"This is the entrance to Waikiki," Brennon Morioka, director of the state Department of Transportation, said in a news release. "We shared a common interest with the Hilton Hawaiian Village to ensure this road was like a red carpet for our visitors and residents. We got the job done."

Work on the Hilton road project started March 31.

The state did the rest of the repaving work on Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana. Work to resurface the stretch started in 2000 on Nimitz Highway, and crews recently finished work on Ala Moana from Fort Street to Pi'ikoi Street. Altogether, including the Hilton project, the repaving work has cost about $45 million.

The final phase of the state project, which will repave portions of Ala Moana and add new lighting on Nimitz, is set to start in 2010 and will cost about $34 million. That work is part of the governor's new emphasis on infrastructure projects.

The dedication yesterday was in front of the Grand Waikikian, which opened Thursday. For a minute, traffic in all four eastbound lanes was stopped so that a kahu could bless the newly repaved roadway, sprinkling salt and water on the pavement.

Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association, said yesterday that the state-Hilton partnership is a good example of how the tourist industry can work with government to benefit visitors and residents.

And he added there is more work to be done in Waikiki.

"The goal is to have a beautiful entry experience from the airport to Waikiki," he said at the news conference.