QUESTION: Yesterday morning there was a major accident on the H-3 freeway, town-bound, near Halawa. The webcams showed traffic backing up into the tunnel and more cars coming up behind them. Listening to Perry and Price on the radio, I heard Windward drivers saying they were unaware of this accident when they used the H-3 onramps. The state Department of Transportation has advisory signs near the entrances to the H-3, but apparently they were not turned on. (Overgrown brush hiding the signs is also an issue.) Why have the signs if DOT is not going to use them? Who is responsible for advising motorists of road conditions? They do not seem to be doing their jobs. Several months ago I went on the H-3 only to find a traffic accident that had been there for some time. The advisory signs were turned off.

ANSWER: The signs were not turned off, said Transportation Department spokeswoman Tammy Mori.

There are 12 electronic signs “;intended to alert drivers along the H-3”; on the Windward side—eight “;changeable message signs”; and four “;variable message signs.”;

Three of the latter signs (one was broken) did advise motorists of the accident.

However, the changeable message signs can only carry “;fixed messages”; that indicate only whether the freeway is open or closed. No additional information can be given, Mori said.

Yesterday morning those eight signs indicated the freeway was open, “;even though there was heavy traffic,”; she said.

That might not be any consolation to motorists who were caught in the slowdown.

But Mori explained that those signs are meant to “;help in times of an emergency when the entire freeway is shut down.”;

In the case of an accident and only a partial closure, those signs “;can't be altered because they only can say 'open' (or show a green arrow) or 'closed,'”; she said.

Transportation officials did alert the city Traffic Management Center about the accident, Mori said.

“;We did everything we could to get the word out,”; she said, but conceded, “;it seems we're not using the (changeable message) signs,”; because there's no way to say there was a slowdown.

Meanwhile, the four “;variable message signs”; can carry additional information.

The three that were working yesterday said either, “;Accident on H3 Frwy/Expect Delays”; or “;Accident on H3/Expect Delays,”; Mori said.

Those signs are located across from St. Mark's Church on Kamehameha Highway; at Castle Junction and Kalanianaole Highway; and on Kahekili Highway. The sign across from Castle High School was broken, Mori said.

Three of the changeable message boards are located at the Halekou Interchange (H-3 onramp); two on the Likelike onramps; one at Anoi Street/Likelike Highway; one at Castle Junction/Kalanianaole Highway; and one on Kamehameha Highway near Hawaii Pacific University.

MAHALO

To five beautiful “;angels”; who showed up to help me change my tire when I had a flat on Friday, Jan. 22, in Mililani. The angels are Mr. Chung and his son (I did not get their first names), a friend named Lenny, and Cheryl and Chris Price, who own three Flagship Fastlube shops on Oahu. I am so grateful that these individuals went out of their way to help me even though they were busy with their own lives.—B. Miyake