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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Water project at
Punchbowl stirs questionsQuestion: What's going on at the slopes of Punchbowl, across from 1051 Prospect St.? There seems to be a lot of excavating and a lot of heavy trucks and equipment, which makes it dusty and noisy.
Q: There seems to be a lot of infrastructure work being done in the Punchbowl area by Stevenson Middle School. The mountainside is being cleared and the road is dug up. What is going on and how long is this project?
Answer: All that work is part of a $3.52 million Board of Water Supply project to upgrade water mains in the area, improve fire protection and replace pipes that are more than 70 years old.
The contractor, Mega Construction, is using a test well site along Punchbowl for a storage yard, according to board spokeswoman Wanda Yamane. The construction yard is about 300 feet from the Stevenson Middle School bus stop on the mauka side of Prospect Street.
Mega Construction has permission from both the board and Hawaiian Homes Commission to use the property, Yamane said.
The project -- Punchbowl Water System Improvements Job No. 02-25 -- involves water main work along Prospect Street (from Nehoa to Alapai streets), Spencer Street (Wilder Avenue to Alapai Street), Emerson Street (from Green to Prospect streets), Ward Avenue (Lunalilo to Prospect streets), Magazine Street (Thurston Avenue to Prospect Street) and Avon Way.
The project began in July and is targeted for completion by August 2004.
"Construction will be done in phases to minimize the inconvenience to consumers and motorists," Yamane said.
There is another project, not involving the Board of Water Supply, that began recently in the Punchbowl area that also may generate questions from the public, she noted. The city is installing a new sewer line on Spencer Street and Thurston Avenue.
Q: Can you give us an update on what's happening on the slopes of Punchbowl, next to Stevenson Middle School? It's 8:30 a.m. Sunday (Sept. 28) and there are bulldozers, dump trucks, backup noises -- like a normal day. Do they have a special permit to do this? It does seem to be inconsiderate of the neighbors.
A: A subcontractor for Mega Construction, which has a contract with the Board of Water Supply (see above), did work that day, but without getting a permit or permission.
The subcontractor did not notify the board or Mega Construction about its plans to haul away debris, board spokeswoman Wanda Yamane said.
Workers hauled away three truckloads of materials and debris from a storage yard on Sunday, she said. They did not work last Sunday.
Board of Water Supply contractors do not normally work on weekends, Yamane said. The subcontractor was "contacted regarding the attention that was drawn by his crew from area residents."
Auwe
To the driver of a blue truck who was tailgating and changing lanes on Sunday, Sept. 28. Please learn some road courtesy. You nearly caused an accident and may not be so lucky next time. -- No Name
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