More work on Kapiolani
Boulevard starts in ’06

Kapiolani Boulevard, one of the busiest streets in Honolulu, is about to be ripped up again for more sewer and water work.

Officials with the city Department of Design and Construction and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply will hold a public information hearing Monday to discuss plans for major sewer and water work along Kapiolani that is scheduled to begin in January 2006 and conclude in October 2007.

The public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. in the McKinley High School cafeteria.

The sewer line work involves installing a resin pipe inside a 36-inch sewer main installed in 1923 that runs under the center of Kapiolani between Kalakaua Avenue and Kamakee Street. Emergency work was conducted between July and August 2004 to repair three segments of the 70-year-old main that were in the worst need of repairs.

The planned work will restore the rest of the main and will not duplicate the work that was done last year. The planned project is expected to extend the life of the main for at least 50 more years.

In addition to the sewer project, the water project, which will run about the same length of the sewer project, involves the installation of a water main to replace the existing one. New 12-inch mains will be installed using open trench construction. In addition, a new water main will be installed to replace an existing main along Atkinson Drive.

Portions of Kamakee, Atkinson and Kalakaua also will be affected by the combined water and sewer project.

The project will be suspended between Nov. 20, 2006, and Jan. 2, 2007, to ease disruption to the public during the holiday season. The city is applying to the state Department of Health for a noise variance that will allow work on the project to be done at night.

The city has contracted R.M. Towill Corp. to coordinate the design of the project. The Board of Water Supply will administer the construction contract for the combined project.