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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Contraflow idea studied
for Wilson TunnelQuestion: Could you find out why the state Department of Transportation doesn't plan on contraflowing traffic when the Wilson Tunnel will be closed for 30 days in each direction later this year? It would seem reasonable to do this at least during peak periods -- from 6 to 8 a.m. when the Honolulu-bound lanes are closed and 4 to 6 p.m. when the Kaneohe-bound lanes are closed. A few guardrails may have to be removed temporarily, but residents on the Windward side would really appreciate it.
Answer: This idea has been brought up "a lot" since the project to upgrade the Wilson Tunnel was announced last month, according to transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa.
Nothing has yet been decided, he said, but the department's traffic engineers are studying whether a "crossover" is possible for traffic to use the open tunnel during rush hours.
For example, when the Kaneohe-bound tunnel is closed for 30 days, engineers are looking at whether the afternoon rush-hour traffic could cross over to the open Honolulu-bound tunnel, then cross back over before reaching Kaneohe.
"The concept would only allow traffic in one direction through that open tunnel, but not traffic heading in both directions," Ishikawa said.
"Our concern has always been a contraflow route in which traffic going in opposite directions is separated by a line of orange cones, particularly when cars are speeding downhill," he said.
He explained that before the H-3 freeway opened in 1997, the Transportation Department did have contraflow routes in the Pali and Likelike tunnels when either was closed for cleaning.
The problem was that there were always tipped cones, "which meant someone drove too close to the oncoming traffic," he said.
"While there never was a head-on collision during those contraflow operations, the tipped cones made us think."
When the Transportation Department had a contraflow set up to get traffic past the hillside project at Castle Junction, Ishikawa said, some residents "demanded we take the contraflow lane up the Pali Highway, past the hairpin turn up to the tunnels. For obvious safety reasons, we said no."
Chickens, anyone?
Linda Schoonover is looking for some kind of bird sanctuary for feral chickens she and her family have rescued in the Mililani gulch. She said she hasn't been able to find any person or group willing to take in the chickens and is worried because "some neighbors are abusing them to get them off their property. I have had it with the abuse and decided to take action in trying to find a bird sanctuary for them."Schoonover said there are still more in the gulch she is trying to catch. She worries because, "I was told by my son's friends that there were teenagers catching them and torturing/killing some of the chicks in the past."
She also said she has seen evidence that people have been capturing the roosters for illegal cockfighting.
If anyone can help, call Schoonover at 623-3916 or e-mail her at gecko61@hawaii.rr.com.
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