Motorists driving in and out of Kapolei are being asked to avoid the Kalaeloa Boulevard-Kapolei Parkway area as work starts on a project to improve the intersection as well as widen Kalaeloa Boulevard from four lanes to six lanes.

The $37 million project is expected to begin July 7, said Theresia McMurdo, public affairs vice president for Kapolei Property Development, which is making the improvements.

The first phase of the project, involving the intersection and surrounding area, is expected to be done by spring 2009, while the whole project should be done by 2010, McMurdo said.

Kalaeloa Boulevard is the main thoroughfare for Campbell Industrial Park, the state's largest industrial complex. It is home to the HPOWER generating plant, oil refineries, recycling plants and other large-scale industrial operations.

Thousands of workers will potentially be affected by the roadwork.

Kapolei Property Development intends to maintain two lanes going in and out of Campbell Industrial Park during the majority of the project by using portions of the shoulder lanes and median area, McMurdo said.

However, she said, there may be times when lanes will have to be closed and speed limits reduced.

First phase work will include the section of Kalaeloa Boulevard between the H-1 Freeway Palailai interchange and the railroad tracks at the makai border of The Honolulu Advertiser plant.

The key work will be a short extension of Kapolei Parkway beyond the Kalaeloa Boulevard-Kapolei Parkway intersection. That will enable the upcoming Kapolei Commons shopping complex to install its three entryways.

Kapolei Commons' first stores, including one of O'ahu's first two Target stores, are expected to open in early March.

To help ease potential traffic tie-ups, "what we're trying to do is to get people who work within the city of Kapolei to take alternate routes," McMurdo said.

Specifically, Kapolei Property Development is suggesting that motorists avoid the Palailai interchange, also known as Exit 1. Instead, the company is asking that: