WAIKIKI — Cyclists, runners and walkers will get their sidewalk and bike lane back as the city begins dismantling a sewer pipe that has protruded into and out of the Ala Wai Canal for nearly two years.

"I'm standing here in the midst of the reminder of one of the toughest days of my administration," Mayor Mufi Hannemann said yesterday. "The work wasn't easy. It was difficult and grimy, but we did it. We fixed the problem not just for today, but for the future."

The 750-foot long, 42-inch pipe went in nearly two years ago after a sewer pipe burst under Kai'olu Street in March 2006. The rupture sent 48 million gallons of wastewater spewing into the Ala Wai Canal and onto the beaches of Waikiki.

The pipe runs along Ala Wai Boulevard to Ala Moana Beach Park, where the wastewater is then pumped to a treatment plant on Sand Island.

But the pipe will start coming out tomorrow, Hannemann said. It will be cut up and placed on a flatbed truck by a crane. Once removed, the sidewalk, bike path and parking should be restored by May 20.

The complete fix of the broken pipe won't be finished for another five to six years, said Eric Takamura of the city Department of Environmental Services.

The pipe on the mauka side of the Ala Wai Canal will remain in place until the city completes the Beachwalk Wastewater Emergency Bypass project.

Bob Finley, chairman of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board, said residents will be happy to have the parking spaces back and the bike lane reopened on the makai side.

"From everything I've been told, we have things covered in case there's a big rain," Finley said. "It's worth the wait."

The city spent $45 million on the bypass project, but it will cost another $50 million to build a new sewer pipe from the mauka side of the canal that connects to Ala Moana Beach Park. It is in the design phase and should be be completed within five years.

Waikiki resident Joe Friday said a clear bike path all along the Ala Wai will make his rides along Ala Wai Boulevard a lot easier. He won't have to dodge cars on the busy road, or pedestrians on the sidewalk.

"It's hard to cross the street right here," Friday said. "It's dangerous for bicycles and runners. Sometimes I ride on the sidewalk and get told to get off by the police."