The Kaneohe-bound lanes of Likelike Highway were closed as construction crews worked on the road yesterday.
Oahu drivers brace
for building woesState officials say that the
numerous projects will mean
an earlier completion date
When students return to school next month, Oahu rush-hour traffic "shouldn't be any worse than last year," despite major ongoing road projects, the state's transportation director says.
More than 42,000 university, community college, private and public school students will begin classes now through August, increasing morning and afternoon traffic islandwide.
More info
Call the Highway Construction Hotline at 587-6316, or on the Web,
Major construction that closes whole sections of state highways is being done at night so that there is less impact on commuters, said Transportation Director Rodney Haraga.
The projects include the Waimalu widening project on the H-1 Freeway, resurfacing of Moanalua Freeway and road and tunnel work on the Likelike Highway.
Haraga allowed that during the night work, "if you're not familiar with the highways it is rather difficult to drive around." Electronic message boards that inform motorists of detours help, as do media advisories and word-of-mouth, he said.
Drivers interviewed yesterday in Windward and Leeward Oahu generally applauded the state scheduling much of the work at night, but agreed that it can make for some long drives to get around it.
"I think it's awesome that they work on the roads 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.," said Mililani resident Katie Seefeldt.
Still, the 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. weeknight closures of the Likelike Highway Kaneohe-bound and the 9 p.m.-4:30 a.m. closure of the Moanalua Freeway Honolulu-bound are effectively a curfew for Kaneohe resident Bowie Cruz when he visits relatives on the Leeward side.
"If we don't make it to the highway by a certain time, we have to deal with the Likelike being closed," Cruz said. The Honolulu-bound entrance to the H-3 is often blocked by contractors working on the Moanalua repaving job, he said.
If he doesn't leave the Leeward side by 8:30 p.m., his choices for getting over the Koolau to Kaneohe are either doubling back on the H-1 to the Ewa-bound exit to the H-3, or going all the way to the Pali Highway, Cruz said.
Windward residents who commute on the Likelike Highway are apprehensive about September, when the Wilson Tunnel will be closed 30 days in the Kaneohe-bound direction, and October, when the other tunnel will be closed for 30 days. The state plans to contraflow the open tunnel.
Sharon and Benny Kai of Kahuku said they understand the need for the fix-up of the 50-year-old tunnels, but do expect it to affect Kaneohe and North Shore residents.
"A lot of kids from our side go to Kamehameha School" and likely will have to leave for school earlier, Sharon said. "I bet the first day one tunnel is closed, a lot of people will be late."
The DOT hasn't announced the precise date of the Wilson Tunnel closures, but preparatory work was done this weekend while the Kaneohe-bound lanes were closed for repaving.
Kailua resident Chad Pimenteo generally heads to his Mapunapuna area job on the H-3, but returns home at 5 p.m. on the Likelike Highway. He figures the tunnel work will add at least 15 minutes to his afternoon commute.
"I'll try it and see how it goes," Pimenteo said of sticking with the Likelike. If it's awful, he said, he'll try the Pali or the H-3.
Haraga noted that the Moanalua Freeway repaving, which is slated for six to seven months, is almost half-way done after two months. Contractor Hawaiian Dredging has nearly completed the Honolulu-bound portion of the work, which runs from Aloha Stadium to Kalihi Street.
"The work is progressing very well," Haraga said. When the Moanalua job is complete, the state will schedule repaving of Nimitz Highway from Keehi Lagoon to Waiakamilo Road, he said.
Some major highway projects underway or coming soon don't require lane closures, said DOT spokesman Scott Ishikawa.
The two new lanes being added to Fort Weaver Road in Ewa will be built behind barriers, so there will be little impact to the existing four lanes during construction, Ishikawa said.
And plans to install a concrete median on Farrington Highway from Hakimo Road to Kaukama Road on the Waianae Coast, to prevent head-on collisions, will affect traffic, but not stop it.
Haraga emphasized that doing a number of large projects all at once, instead of in phases, speeds up the completion time.
"If we phase it, it will take years. This work is sorely needed. It's been neglected for such a long time," he said. "Enough talk. We need to do and get our roads up to standards."
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Roadwork
Major ongoing state Department of Transportation highway projects on Oahu:
H-1 Freeway, Waimalu Widening Project
Adds a sixth lane in the Ewa-bound lanes from Kaonohi Street in Aiea to the Pearl City offramp.
Cost: $55 million.
Construction: through December 2005.
Work hours: 10 p.m.-4 a.m., Monday-Friday on the H-1, with some temporary, daytime lane closures in the neighborhood underneath the H-1; on Kamehameha Highway, Moanalua Road, and Pono, Ponohale and Kaahele streets.
Moanalua Freeway
Resurfacing in both directions from the Aloha Stadium to Kalihi. All lanes are closed in the section being worked on. Townbound lanes are almost complete. Work will shift soon to Ewa-bound lanes.
Cost: $13 million.
Construction: through December. Work hours: 9 p.m.-4:30 a.m., Sunday-Friday.
Likelike Highway, Wilson Tunnels
Retrofit the half-century-old tunnels by fixing leaks, improving drainage and visibility, and resurfacing the roadway with concrete.
Cost: $13.8 million for tunnel work (not including resurfacing on the highway).
Construction: through May 2005. Work hours: Kaneohe-bound lanes between Nalanieha Street to the tunnels closed until 4 a.m. tomorrow for repaving and 8 p.m.-4 a.m. tomorrow through Friday.
The Kaneohe-bound tunnel will be closed for 30 days in September, with traffic contra-flowed through the other tunnel. Then the Honolulu-bound tunnel will be closed for 30 days in October and traffic contra-flowed in the other tunnel. Additional work will continue in Honolulu-bound lanes from November to May 2005.
Fort Weaver Road widening
In the first phase, the road will be increased to six lanes from the current four, from Farrington Highway to Laulaunui Street.
Cost: $6.3 million.
Construction: through July 2005.
Castle Junction landslide mitigation
Reducing slope of landslide-prone cliff. Construction: through September.
Cost: $7.8 million.
Coming soon
H-1 Freeway, Lunalilo Onramp
This demonstration project will close the Lunalilo Street onramp to the H-1 Freeway from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on weekdays Aug. 9 to Oct. 29, to see if it helps alleviate traffic backups on the freeway.
Cost: $200,000.
Farrington Highway, Nanakuli to Kaena Point Park
Install concrete barriers in the median between Nanakuli and Makaha from Hakimo Road to Kaukama Road. Improve sidewalks in parts of Waianae. Restripe crosswalks in Nanakuli.
Cost: $7.2 million.
Construction: expected to start in August and last 16 months.
Nimitz Highway resurfacing
When the Moanalua Freeway resurfacing is complete, paving Nimitz from the Airport Viaduct to River Street will begin.
Time: to be determined; probably early 2005.
