The freeway from the airport to Waikele is a mess, with trash of all kinds. It is a disgrace. The freeway from Kahala toward town is also filthy. Who is responsible for cleaning it up? State employs two crews
to fix roads, clear rubbishI've traveled all over and I have to say we have one of the dirtiest freeway systems in the world. Recently, I witnessed two incidents that could have caused serious harm: one caused by debris clogging drainage on the freeway near the stadium and the other involving serious flooding by the Waipahu turnoff, going Ewa. Who's responsible?
In all those cases, the state Department of Transportation is responsible, but the problem boils down to a lack of money, said spokeswoman Marilyn Kali. There are only two crews that handle maintenance for all state roadways on Oahu - "that includes picking up rubbish that people drop on the road," she said.
If debris is on the main road, it is considered an emergency and "we will send people out" as soon as possible, Kali said.
But if it's on the side, "you just have to wait until they have time. There are only 15 guys for the whole island and they handle everything from potholes to guardrail repairs to cleaning up. It's a matter of priorities, unfortunately."
If you spot a roadway problem, call 831-6713 during the day, or 831-6714 after hours.
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