By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
What was called the Makai Arterial, off the H-1 freeway,
was planned in the late 1940s, and never came to pass.
The Kapiolani off- and on-ramps for the H-1 freeway are sort of stuck out there in the cusp areas of Kaimuki, the border zone of Kapahulu. The off-ramp suddenly splits off from H-1 as you're headed Ewa, causing momentary directional panic in even experienced Honolulu motorists, while the on-ramp seems to lift up from someone's back yard. Well, that's what comes from building the city first, the freeways later.The ramps were actually a problem back in the '70s. They were built of steel cable with concrete poured around them, but when the cables were put under tension, the concrete cracked. Repairs were fiendishly expensive, and everyone blamed everyone else for the problem. State Republicans had an excuse to award the first Golden Auwe to state Democrats for this engineering fiasco.
But we don't care about that. The question at hand is the little stub of highway poking out between the ramps. Although some have misinterpreted tall tales of ramp woes with this offramp to nowhere, t'aint so. It's exactly where it's supposed to be. It's just that the rest of the freeway is missing.
It was called the Makai Arterial, and plans go back to the late 1940s. Transportation planners thought it a fabulous idea; everyone else seems to have recoiled in horror, particularly parks officials who didn't want Ala Moana Park subdivided into a freeway rest stop.
You be the judge: the Makai Arterial is best thought of as an elevated no-stop expressway hovering over both Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana from Waikiki to Middle street, like a great hulking concrete cloud of doom between yourself and the sparkling ocean. But don't let us influence you.
The idea kept being revived, right into the 1980s, and is probably still a gleam in some aging traffic engineer's eye.
The production needs 50 volunteers next month to help the show handle 400 audience members who will be attending each videotaping of the show's 26 episodes at the Hawai'i Convention Center.
Volunteers would work in four-hour shifts per show. The volunteers also will help producers select and brief the 100 audience members who will judge the show's performers.
"From Hawaii ... Destination Stardom" will be staged before a live audience every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Thursday to Sept. 7 with show times at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. each day (except Thursday and Aug. 10, when one show will be taped at 6:30 p.m.)
For information about volunteering as ushers call the "Destination Stardom" hot line at 377-5328.
Wearable art creations made by participants will be auctioned Oct. 30 at a Holiday Spree at Ward Warehouse.
Those who wish to participate may register for the challenge at DACS, through Aug. 7. All participants receive a 20 percent discount on regular-priced merchandise during the month of August.
Completed pieces must be brought to the store on or before Oct. 16.
The Alana Dung Foundation is a nonprofit designed to support research to improve the lives of children with serious illnesses.
For more information, call DACS at 842-7714.
