Question: The town-bound H-2 freeway onramp at Mililani has been partially or completely closed, off and on, for almost six months! The other ramps in the area were quickly repaired, but this work seems endless. Meanwhile, most of the H-1 freeway HOV lane from the interchange into town is a terrible mess of potholes. Something's wrong: Some repairs never end but more-needed repairs never begin. What are the priorities? Thousands would like to know.

Answer: The state Department of Transportation feels your pain and says, “;Solutions are on their way,”; to both the ramp closure and the potholes in the area of Kipapa Stream Bridge.

Regarding the onramp: “;There are some issues being worked out with the contractor”; involving the smoothness of the ramp, said transportation spokeswoman Tammy Mori.

The dispute, now about a “;couple months”; long, is still under negotiation, she said. “;It definitely is an area of concern.”;

Unlike other ramps, the ramp in question is the only one paved with concrete, Mori said.

The department contends the ramp does not meet the “;standard on the smoothness of the road,”; while “;the contractor is saying it's fine,”; she said.

While that dispute continues, the equipment used to “;grind down”; the concrete to make it smooth is being used on another project.

At this point, “;Our project engineers are saying, assuming negotiations go well, they hope to have that (work completed) by January,”; Mori said.

Meanwhile, Mori acknowledged the Transportation Department receives “;a lot of complaints”; about the condition of the freeway on the Kipapa Stream Bridge, but that source of annoyance also is expected to be resolved by January.

Because the bridge is so old, steel plates were used along the joint lines, where the road and bridge connects, Mori explained. Over time the steel plates have given way to “;a lot of wear and tear”; and need to be replaced.

The department has ordered “;the modern version of the steel plate”; and expects the shipment to arrive from the mainland by early January and installed shortly afterward.

Until the bridge is repaired, workers have just been temporarily patching the potholes on the road, Mori said. Unfortunately, because the bridge moves independently of the roadway, whenever any patchwork paving is done, the filling “;pops right back out,”; she said.

“;We do understand it's been an inconvenience”; to motorists in both areas, but Mori promised “;solutions are on the way.”;

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A: Since May, McDonald's USA has been using a new canola blend cooking oil, with 0 grams of trans fat per labeled serving, in nearly 14,000 U.S. restaurants, according to Melanie Okazaki, regional marketing manager for McDonald's.

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