HONOLULU – According to a news release from the office of Gov. Linda Lingle, $500,000 has been released for the construction of improvements to the drainage system in the makai area of Kaka'ako Waterfront Park.

This project is part of the $1.87 billion public infrastructure construction plan unveiled by Lingle Dec. 15 to stimulate the economy and create jobs, the news release said. Progress of all 1,521 projects included in the plan can be tracked on the Web site www.hawaii.gov/cip.

Constructed in 1990 as part of improvement efforts undertaken by the Hawai'i Community Development Authority (HCDA), the current drainage system located along the western boundary of the Kaka'ako Waterfront Park and John A. Burns School of Medicine collects surface runoff water from more than 200 acres in urban Honolulu.

This project includes restoring damaged concrete, backfilling sinkholes adjacent to the open channel, reinstalling protective fencing and installing preventive measures to halt the flow of soil into the drainage system and the corrosion of the reinforcing steel in the concrete.

The $500,000 in general obligation funds released by Lingle is being supplemented by $530,000 in HCDA revolving funds. The total project cost is estimated to be $1,030,000, the news release said.

Design has already been completed. Construction is expected to begin in April 2009 and be completed in September 2009.