H-1 widening project
to be discussed at
Sept. 15 hearing

By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

The state will give the public a chance at a Sept. 15 hearing to talk about widening H-1 westbound lanes from Kaonohi Street to the Waiau Interchange -- also known as the Pearl City exit.

State officials stressed this at an Aiea town meeting on state and city transportation projects last night attended by about 100 residents at Alvah Scott Elementary School.

Next month's 6:30-9:30 p.m. hearing will be at Waimalu Elementary School, 98-825 Moanalua Road.

"You'll be able to ask anything you want about this project," said Ron Tsuzuki, head planning engineer of the state Highways Division.

He confirmed after last night's meeting that 10 homes -- one unoccupied -- stand to be displaced by the widening of H-1 from five Ewa-bound lanes to six.

The widening includes lanes on the 1,500-foot Waimalu viaduct. Affected homes are mostly on Ponohana Loop and Pono Street in the Waimalu Gardens subdivision mauka of the freeway and viaduct.

The homes must be displaced to acquire property for a buffer zone between the edge of the viaduct and remaining homes, Tsuzuki said. It's expected construction will begin in the fall of 2002, he said.

Pratt Kinimaka, staff engineer of the state Department of Transportation, said a planning study on the freeway project is scheduled for completion in November. A consultant likely will begin design work next spring, Kinimaka said. The cost in federal and state funds is expected to be $45 million.

Tsuzuki said with existing guidelines the federal position is that widening H-1 will produce no adverse environmental effects.