Bureaucratic inaction caused motorist misery

THE ISSUE Governor Lingle says the state Civil Defense will be notified about any future freeway closure to avoid a repeat of Tuesday's calamity.

GOVERNOR Lingle has acknowledged that the state could have done more to deal with Tuesday's traffic debacle, but blame can be dished out at every level of government. No plan was in place for dealing with a lengthy shutdown of the H-1 freeway, as was apparent to everyone trapped for up to eight hours inching Ewa from downtown.

The Army has begun an investigation of the incident that caused the shutdown -- a tractor-trailer driven by an Army sergeant into an overpass that was more than a foot too low for a hydraulic elevator being hauled from Pearl Harbor to Schofield Barracks. The vehicle was being operated illegally because it had not been given a state permit to haul the elevator.

Lingle was out of state, but Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and state transportation officials agreed to shut down the freeway's Ewa-bound lanes. That was the right decision. Damage to steel bracing compromised the integrity of the overpass and would have posed a danger to motorists passing underneath.

The freeway is closed in one direction with relative frequency, following major accidents, but at least one lane is opened in a short time. State officials were aware that the overpass damage would result in an entire shutdown for a lengthy period, including the end-of-day rush hour, creating unprecedented consequences that the officials failed to recognize. The freeway ended up being closed for nearly 15 hours.

Lingle said the communication system designed for use during emergencies was not employed "because people were thinking of this in the traffic context" instead of as a disaster, such as a tsunami or hurricane. Incredibly, the officials failed to realize their mistake throughout the whole ordeal.

Motorists were left to fend for themselves, deciding which route to take and trying to get there. Those remaining on the H-1 were funneled to exit at Aiea and, if destined further west, could re-enter the freeway at Pearl City. The only city police officers to be seen between downtown and Aiea had sirens blaring so civilian motorists would get out of their way.

Because the emergency communication system had not been implemented, motorists had absolutely no assistance from radio stations, which had been placed on autopilot as dusk approached. One station played music presented cheerfully by a Los Angeles-based deejay, interrupted several times with its self-description as "the information station." No useful information could be found anywhere on the dial.

Lingle says the state Civil Defense will be notified promptly about any future closure of a freeway. The state needs to create a comprehensive plan to deal with such a situation if it should again arise, including ways to turn parts of the freeway into contra-flow lanes.