Big Isle bypass to
have more traffic
lights than old route

There will be children from
five schools in the Keaau
area, south of Hilo

By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

KEAAU, Hawaii -- The new 2.2-mile Keaau Bypass, designed to relieve traffic congestion in Keaau village south of Hilo, will have twice the number of traffic lights than the existing route has, the state has announced.

In response, the Hawaiian language immersion school Nawahiokalaniopuu and the Girl Scouts said they want yet another light, which would bring the total on the bypass to five. The existing route has two.

Despite the growing collection of traffic signals, state Transportation Department officials said during an informational session that traffic will move more smoothly on the four-lane bypass than on the existing two-lane route.

And despite the second phase of the project starting late, it will finish in time for the opening of a new high school, at less than the originally projected cost, said Howard Haymore, the department's assistant district engineer.

David Taylor, president of the Puna Traffic Safety Council, remained as critical as he was two years ago when he predicted the state would not stop at three lights on the bypass and would add a fourth.

"It's a complete misuse of public trust and public funds," he said.

Transportation engineer Robert Taira told Nawahiokalaniopuu officials that the majority of the public that commutes from Puna through Keaau to Hilo will not tolerate another light.

"I anticipate letters to the editor saying it's a real dumb idea to install more traffic signals," he said.

Nawahiokalaniopuu Vice Principal Carole Ishimaru -- pointing out there will be children from five schools in the area -- said, "Sometimes to save lives, we have to take extraordinary measures."

Erlinda Otani of the Girl Scouts, which has a meeting center across the street from Nawahiokalaniopuu, says her organization plans a petition among its 600 East Hawaii members for a fifth light.

Haymore said his department originally wanted just two lights, added a third at the request of the Department of Education, then a fourth when higher-ups rejected a pedestrian bridge over the bypass.

Haymore said the 1-1/4-mile, $4.5 million first phase of the bypass will be finished in time for the opening of a new Keaau elementary school in January.

Traffic will have to snake through parts of the new and old roads until the second phase is completed.

The remaining mile of road and related improvements, costing $11.8 million, will be finished in time for the opening of the new high school in August, Haymore said. That's less than the $13 million it was expected to cost.

And traffic on the bypass will run smoother because all of the lights, whatever their number, will be computer coordinated, he said.