BARRY MARKOWITZ / SPECIAL TO STAR-BULLETIN
A 30-inch water transmission pipe broke at around 2:45 p.m. yesterday in Punaluu, closing traffic in both directions. Above, workers used heavy equipment to repair the damage.
Traffic was slow-moving on Kamehameha Highway from Kaaawa to Kahaluu this morning, while work crews repaired a ruptured 30-inch water main on the highway near Green Valley Road. Busted pipe dries out
Windward sideBy Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.com
Police diverted motorists on the two-lane highway to one contra-flow lane and cautioned that afternoon commuters today will be facing the same restriction.
The ruptured water main on Kamehameha Highway in Punaluu caused traffic nightmares and dried up faucets from Punaluu to Waimanalo yesterday, Honolulu Board of Water Supply officials said.
"Everybody going crazy," said Yong Chin, owner of Punaluu Restaurant at 53-146 Kamehameha Highway. "I have no water so we closed the restaurant at 3 p.m., but people still stuck in traffic and are parking outside ... they want to use the bathrooms but I cannot because we have no water.
"Everyone getting upset and we have no business ... We had the same kind of road closures at least 10 times last year. It's really frustrating."
The main, which broke about 2:45 p.m., provides service for an estimated 60 percent of Windward Oahu, leaving many residents with low water pressure or no water at all.
Board of Water Supply officials said contractors were installing a new backup water main right next to the 30-inch main when it broke. By 7:30 p.m. yesterday, water service was restored, except for 25 homes in the immediate area.
Repairs are expected to be completed by tonight, but residents should conserve water through today because it will take six to eight more hours to restore the water reserve level, said Denise DeCosta said.
Aside from water problems, residents in the area faced other inconveniences.
Some motorists said they were waiting in stand-still traffic for up to 50 minutes before they were told the road was closed. Traffic eased slowly after police opened a contra-flow lane about 7 p.m
Workers at Ponds of Punaluu, an assisted-living community for retirees, said they had to cancel several doctors' appointments for residents because of the road closure.
"We had three employees who live near Kahana Bay, usually a 10-minute ride from here, that had to go all the way around the island to get home," said staff nurse Emily Keil. "But we have water, so other than that, it was OK."
The water shutoff also led officials to close Kaaawa Elementary School today.
But, Carlton Ching, part owner of Ching's Punaluu Store, managed to make the best out of a bad situation yesterday.
"We were lucky. It was good for business" Ching said.
"People couldn't go anywhere and were parking their cars and coming in and buying hot dogs, sodas, chili ... We probably had 80 people come in since 3 o'clock."
Star-Bulletin reporter Nelson Daranciang contributed to this report.
