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By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Construction vehicles line the shoulder of H-1's Diamond
Head-bound lanes last night just before resurfacing work
resumed. Meanwhile, Ewa-bound traffic still
zooms by in the other lanes.

Traffic nightmare?
No, state says H-1 work
more like dream so far

Things went smoothly on the
first night and better the
second, officials say

By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

Police cleared traffic from the eastbound lanes of the H-1 freeway in 21 minutes last night, shaving four minutes off Sunday's time, to continue resurfacing work.

"Everything went according to plans," said Lt. Alfred Torco of the Honolulu Police Department. "There was no major incident that we can see. This facility here is a big help."

The facility -- the city traffic control center -- was where Torco and state and city transportation officials watched the second night of the freeway shutdown on three 60-inch monitors and eight television screens. They also monitored alternate routes.

There had been concern that traffic might be heavier on the first weeknight of the closure, but that did not happen.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Department of Transportation information specialist Dean
Harvest keeps an eye on the closure of the H1 freeway
last night from the city's Traffic Control Center.

Traffic lights on these major alternate routes were programmed to stay green longer starting Sunday; officials did not have to adjust the lights yesterday, said Joe Magaldi, director of city Department Transportation Services.

The eastbound lanes of the freeway will continue to be closed Sunday to Thursday, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for about the next six weeks for resurfacing work.

Things went so well, a woman called the state Department of Transportation to say how nice the shutdown went Sunday night, said spokeswoman Marilyn Kali.

"We don't get many compliments," Kali said.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Kazu Hayashida is on hand at the city's Traffic Control
Center to watch operations during the closure
of part of the H-1 freeway.

Sunday night, work crews removed 500 feet of 3-inch thick old asphalt and laid 1 inches of new asphalt, Kali said. She expected another 700 feet to have been completed last night.

Next Sunday, the final layer of asphalt will go on, completing the stretch from Punchbowl Street to the Piikoi Viaduct. Next Monday and Tuesday, crews will suspend work in anticipation of holiday traffic.

There were a few noise complaints and questions on alternate routes. One woman called the state's hot line to ask for directions on how to take her children to school.

Dean Harvest, state information specialist, tried to explain to her that the closure is only at night. "They hear 'closed' and they think it's all the time," said Harvest.

The state's 24-hour hot line for complaints, traffic updates and information on traffic flow is 587-2345.