The long-awaited Mamalahoa bypass opens today, giving motorists an alternate route between North and South Kona.

The two-lane bypass will be open to southbound traffic only from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. weekdays. Motorists will enter the bypass from the end of Ali'i Drive and exit through Kona Scenic subdivision to reach Mamalahoa Highway.

Bikes, scooters, mopeds, pedestrians and vehicles with a gross vehicular weight over three tons are not allowed on the road during the trial period and will be stopped by an off-duty police officer at the entrance. No stopping or standing along the bypass is permitted.

The bypass is being opened under a grant of easement with Oceanside 1250, developer of Hokuli'a, while dedication of the road to county is being processed. Safety improvements required before the bypass could open were recently completed in Kona Scenic subdivision between Kamehameha III and Kaleiopapa roads in the Keauhou Resort and along Ali'i Drive.

The northern portion of the bypass starts at the southern edge of Keauhou and runs approximately 3 miles to the bottom of Haleki'i Street in Kealakekua's Kona Scenic subdivision.