Punchbowl Street
near freeway
will go two-way

Work that will build an
expressway from King to
H-1 begins tomorrow

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

Traffic on Punchbowl Street between South Beretania and South King streets will go two-way beginning Dec. 7.

Also, a pedestrian island will be built in front of the Mabel Smyth Auditorium side of Beretania to speed traffic turning right onto Punchbowl.

The changes are part of a four-phase project to clear up downtown traffic arteries to freeway on-ramps during afternoon hours, Mayor Jeremy Harris said. Construction begins tomorrow and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekends.

Making the one block of Punchbowl two-way will essentially create an expressway for those traveling on King to the freeway.

Too many cars now have to travel another block, turn left onto Alapai Street and then "careen" across six lanes of traffic onto the extreme right lane of Beretania to hop onto Punchbowl, Harris said.

Parking lanes on the two sides of Punchbowl between Beretania and King will remain until completion of later phases. Three lanes will continue to travel makai, with one changing to go mauka.

During a later phase of the project, which will cost nearly $3.5 million, Punchbowl from Vineyard Boulevard to the H-1 underpass entrance will be expanded to two lanes from one. That will require taking some private property on the Diamond Head side, the mayor said.

Also later, Punchbowl from South King to Ala Moana Boulevard will go two-way. Specifics, such as what happens to street parking and whether there will be turn lanes, have yet to be determined.

The concept is eventually to have two mauka-bound lanes between Ala Moana and the freeway, Harris said.

Meanwhile, the Queen's Medical Center has promised to spruce up its facilities, including its Punchbowl Street entrance.

Parking along the two sides of Punchbowl, at least between Beretania and King, are scheduled to be eliminated by the end of the project, Harris said.

Caroline Spencer, director of the Hawaii State Library, had mixed feelings about the possible loss of parking spaces on Punchbowl.

"It might impact on a few people, having a few less parking stalls," Spencer said, noting that librarians are given a list of potential parking areas in case visitors ask.

Personally, however, Harris' plan "probably will cut about 10 minutes off my commute just to get onto the freeway."