Kapolei to get $100M road fix

A developer is chipping in to get freeway projects up to speed to ease the daily crunch

State and federal officials and a private developer are chipping in $100 million to build a new H-1 freeway interchange to help alleviate traffic congestion in Kapolei.

The funding also will provide for improvements to two other nearby interchanges in an area notorious for traffic headaches.

The bulk of the money will come from Kapolei Property Development, an affiliate of Campbell Estate, which provided $6 million* to speed up the planning and environmental impact work needed to start construction, said Donna Goth, Kapolei Property Development president.

Gov. Linda Lingle and state transportation officials said the funding would help speed up the construction of a series of freeway interchanges to move traffic in and out of Kapolei.

Phase one of the project will result in a new H-1 freeway onramp in the eastbound direction and an offramp to downtown Kapolei at Kamokila Boulevard and Wakea Street. Construction is expected to start later this year, and phase one will cost an estimated $18 million.

"The new interchange should also relieve traffic congestion at the H-1 Makakilo or Palailai interchanges, which are the current accesses to the freeway," said state Transportation Director Rod Haraga.

The announcement of a new interchange is welcome news to people who live and work in Kapolei.

"The more places you got accessible, the easier it's going to be -- 'cause Farrington (Highway) is horrors," commuter Peter Mota said.

The onramp gives motorists another way to get onto the freeway without having to sit through the shopping center traffic congestion on Farrington.

Kui Clark works at Kapolei Hale. She said she takes both the freeway and Farrington Highway to go home to Waipahu at the end of the day. She said she would definitely use the new onramp.

Dan Neyer also works at Kapolei Hale. He avoids the Farrington Highway traffic on his way home to Wahiawa by getting on to the freeway at the Palailai interchange through Kalaeloa Boulevard instead of the Makakilo interchange near the shopping center.

For the onramp to work, Neyer believes the city will have to install a traffic light on Kamokila at Wakea.

He said motorists already have a hard time trying to make a left turn onto Kamokila.

"Without the light, it's going to create more problems and accidents, 'cause you're going to have everyone rushing trying to make that," Neyer said. "And I would recommend turn lights also."

The Kapolei interchange will be in the space now occupied by a bus transfer station off Kamokila opposite Wakea. To use the new onramp on his way home, Neyer will have to make a right turn onto Kamokila from Uluohia Street, then turn left at Wakea. Motorists on Wakea will have to cross busy Kamokila to get to the onramp. And those on Manawai Street will have to make a left turn to get onto Kamokila.

Clark thinks the city should put a traffic light at the Manawai Street intersection as well.

The interchange project includes a new westbound onramp from the Makakilo Interchange.

"I live in Makakilo and I'd love it," said Tanya Ivey, "'cause I have to go to Waianae every day. It would make me not go into town."

A new westbound freeway offramp near Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park is also included in phase one of the project.

Future phases include new onramps and offramps for the Palailai and Makakilo interchanges and a flyover at the Kapolei interchange.

The city and Kapolei Development have already announced a number of roadway projects designed to relieve traffic congestion in Kapolei.

CORRECTION Thursday, September 28, 2006 » Kapolei Property Development, an affiliate of Campbell Estate, provided $6 million for preliminary work on a new freeway interchange project in Kapolei. A Page A1 article in yesterday's morning edition incorrectly said the company provided $65 million. Also, the map that accompanied the article did not show where the work in Phase 1 and future phases will be done. A corrected version of the map is included in the article above. Please see the applicable Corrections Page for more information.