CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Kevin Yasui, right, and Glen Aquino put down the last of yellow stripes on curbs of the tunnel yesterday.

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A light
at the end

The Wilson Tunnels
reopen ahead of schedule

One of Likelike Highway's Wilson Tunnels reopened last night, slightly ahead of tomorrow's scheduled reopening.

But be ready for more construction next month.

State contractor Kiewit Pacific has completed the new 10.5-inch-thick concrete road surface in the half-mile-long Kaneohe-bound tunnel despite 20 days of rain during the 30-day closure, said Scott Ishikawa, state Department of Transportation spokesman. The Kaneohe-bound tunnel opened at 9:30 p.m. last night. The Honolulu-bound tunnel is expected to open today.

"At one point we weren't even sure we were going to open on time," Ishikawa said about the first phase of the project to resurface both tunnels, "but the contractor did a great job in keeping this on time."

The state closed both tunnels July 5 for the Kaneohe tunnel resurfacing and for other work in the Honolulu-bound tunnel. It opened the Honolulu tunnel weekdays for morning and afternoon commuters.

The state chose to resurface the Kaneohe bore first because it flows downhill and was more worn, posing a greater safety hazard, Ishikawa said.

Starting Sept. 6, the state will close just the Honolulu tunnel for resurfacing. Until then the state will continue to close the Honolulu tunnel overnight Sundays through Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. for prep work and other improvements.

In addition to a new road surface, both tunnels are getting new ceramic tiles on their walls for improved visibility and easier cleaning, and drainage improvements to keep water off the roadway. Together, both tunnels require more than 1 million tiles to cover 100,000 square feet of wall space, Ishikawa said.

The $13.8 million project to overhaul the Wilson Tunnels started last year with improvements to the Kaneohe bore.

The tunnels were built in the late 1950s and named for Honolulu Mayor John Wilson.

The last major renovations to the Wilson Tunnels were done in 1979. In 1998 the city transferred management and maintenance of the tunnels to the state.