Question: The bridge by the Arizona Memorial has been under construction for over two years, but they seem to have stopped renovating it. It appears that when they are finished, they will repair/rebuild the bridge next to it. What's going on?

Answer: The Halawa Stream bridge actually has been under construction for more than four years and was supposed to have been completed in 2006.

The state Department of Transportation had hoped to have it opened to traffic this month (see “;Kokua Line,”; Oct. 23), but the “;updated forecast”; now is that it will be ready to accommodate traffic in October.

The latest problem was with “;the drilled shaft, which is the foundation of the bridge itself,”; according to spokeswoman Tammy Mori.

The Transportation Department approved the design plan for repair that the contractor came up with, and the underground work has since been completed, she said.

Currently, the prestressed bridge girders for the last of three spans are being cast and should be installed next week.

Once the last girders are installed, work has to be completed on the deck construction, side railings and pavement transitions to Kamehameha Highway on both ends of the bridge.

“;Then we will be able to do the traffic signal work and traffic pavement markings so we can open it up to traffic.”;

The project initially was to have been completed in July 2006 at a cost of $7.2 million. The final cost now will be around $10.48 million, and the projected completion date is December.

As to that “;other bridge”; you refer to, when traffic is switched over to the new bridge, work to remove and disassemble the temporary bridge and detour road will begin. That, as well as work on landscaping and restoring the project site, will take the project to the end of the year, Mori said.

Question: Why does the city make you take the written and road tests again if your driver's license has expired for more than a year? If it's less than a year, you pay a small charge, plus the renewal fee. Isn't this a waste of the city employees' time?

Answer: Basically, by law, if you don't renew your license within one year of its expiration, you're considered a new licensee, subject to both the written and road tests.

That's under Section 286-107.5 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Regarding your comment about wasting city employees' time, “;If a person has not renewed his/her license within one year of expiration, it is our responsibility to ensure that the person can continue to safely operate a motor vehicle upon public roads,”; Kamimura said. “;This law is for the safety of the licensee as well as the motoring public.”;

Meanwhile, if you don't renew your license within 90 days of its expiration, you have to pay a reactivation fee of $5 for every 30-day period, or fraction thereof, that has passed after the 90-day grace period.

So, if your license expired May 31, you have until Aug. 29 to renew it without any monetary penalty, Kamimura explained. If you renew your license on or before Sept. 28 (30 days after the 90-day grace period), you will be charged a $5 reactivation fee. That $5 fee will be charged for every 30-day period (or fraction of it) up to one year.

After one year you will have to take the written and road tests in order to get a license.

Write to “;Kokua Line”; at Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).