|
Kokua Line June Watanabe |
DOT explains early hours
for Pali contraflowQuestion: The contraflow lane on Pali Highway in the morning is nice while it's open, but they close it at 6:45 a.m., at which point there is a tremendous traffic jam of people trying to get over into the other lanes.
Why doesn't the state Department of Transportation leave it open until 8 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. when traffic is heavy?
Answer: Because leaving it open longer than that would cause an even bigger jam at Castle Junction in all directions, according to transportation officials.
Transportation Director Rodney Haraga monitored traffic during the first two weeks the contraflow was set up, "and noticed that the traffic from Kamehameha Highway starts backing up considerably beginning at 6:30 a.m. because of the contraflow coming from Kailua," said Transportation Department spokesman Scott Ishikawa, who said he also was on hand to witness the situation.
Because of the backlog coming from Kaneohe, it was decided to stick with the 6:45 a.m. closing as originally planned.
"Keeping it open past 7 a.m. would cause major havoc at the whole Castle Junction in all directions," Ishikawa said.
He pointed out that one lane of Kalanianaole Highway, Kailua-bound, is taken away by the contraflow, which results in the closing of one of the two left-turn lanes from Kaneohe to Kailua.
In turn, that closure backs up traffic coming from Kaneohe along Kamehameha Highway, even for drivers trying to turn right to head into town, he said.
"Even after we close the contraflow, there is still a period of 30 minutes in which traffic still flows much better than before the contraflow lane was implemented," he said.
The Transportation Department is trying to encourage Kailua residents to leave a little earlier to take advantage of the contraflow.
Ishikawa pointed out that Kailua drivers, during the morning rush hour, already have more than four minutes of "green-light time," compared with 30 to 60 seconds in other directions.
Meanwhile, the department's project to scale back the hillside at Castle Junction from an 80-degree to 26-degree slope to reduce landslides, as well as to widen the roadway and add a shoulder and drainage gutter, has been delayed because of rainy weather.
The $7.8 million project was expected to take six months and be completed around July. However, Ishikawa said the target date now is August to September.
"To minimize impact on traffic on Kalanianaole Highway, the trucks now load up the dirt behind the concrete barriers, travel along Kamehameha Highway and turn onto the H-3 and take the back way of Kapaa Quarry Road to get to the rear of Kaneohe Ranch," he said.
The previous route had trucks crossing the Kalanianaole Highway median, heading south toward Kaneohe Ranch.
Auwe
To all the cars that are driving illegally without insurance on our public roads. The 2002 statistics show that 192,000 cars are on our public streets. No wonder Oahu's traffic is so bad. -- No Name
|
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com