State to spend
$30 million
on harbor

The plans call for building
ship terminals

By Jerry Tune
Star-Bulletin

The state is planning to use about $30 million for changes to Honolulu Harbor that will help cruise ships, excursion vessels, commercial fishing boats and possibly someday an inter-island ferry service.

Details of the state Department of Transportation's plans are described in an environmental impact statement prepared by Wil-Chee Planning Inc. But the preliminary cost estimate does not include a breakdown for each project. The money would come from the state's harbor special fund and also would require use of revenue bonds, said a department spokesman.

The planned projects, which follow the state commercial harbors 2020 master plan, are:

Construction of a new terminal for excursion vessels, including a roughly 600-feet-long covered passenger waiting area at Piers 24-25. Entrance would be at Pacific Street and Nimitz Highway.

The improvements between Piers 24-29 also would include pier modifications, a maritime-themed garden, landscaping, roadways, and a four-acre paved parking area for buses, taxis, and limousines.

The parking lot would be mauka of the proposed terminal facility and adjacent to Nimitz Highway.

"There is the possibility that an inter-island passenger and vehicular ferry terminal will be incorporated within the excursion boat facility," the study said.

Construction of a cruise ship terminal in two buildings at Pier 2, which would require relocating the Foreign Trade Zone.

The plan calls for 400 parking stalls. Space for 18 tour buses would be located between the two terminal buildings.

Construction of 13 "layberths" for impounded vessels taken to Keehi Lagoon. Each berth would be about 80 feet long and 3 feet wide.

The Keehi Lagoon work also would include a berthing facility for the Petroleum Oil and Lubricating emergency response vessels used to contain and cleanup oil spills. There currently are two POL vessels, berthed at Pier 35 along with six small police vessels.

Improvements at Piers 12-16 to create more capacity for fishing boats, including reconstruction and expansion of existing piers, and construction of new piers.

Construction of the cruise ship terminal at Pier 2 and the excursion vessel terminal at Pier 24-29 are scheduled to start in the year 2000 with completion for 2001.

Construction at Piers 12-16, and the layberth facilities along Lagoon Drive are anticipated to start in 2001 and be completed by 2003.