For years, state Department of Transportation Highways Division office workers on Kaua‘i worked in cramped quarters at the State Building in Lihu‘e. Maintenance workers operated from a baseyard by the Kapa‘a New Park, miles from the central office. Come May,
For years, state Department of Transportation Highways Division office workers on Kaua‘i worked in cramped quarters at the State Building in Lihu‘e.
Maintenance workers operated from a baseyard by the Kapa‘a New Park, miles from the central office.
Come May, workers from both sections will move into one new, spacious facility.
They will move out of their old work places and into a new, multi-million-dollar home on six acres at the Puhi Industrial Park. The new space has ample room for equipment and materials.
“This is being done to increase efficiency, communication, convenience, and to provide additional operation space for the district,” said Steve Kyono, head engineer of the DOT Highways Division on Kaua‘i.
The project will be “centrally located with respect to our highway system, and has provided for much-needed expansion and modernization,” Kyono said.
Primatech Construction leaders won the contract for the $12.9-million project, and work started a year ago. The project is anticipated to be completed by April 15.
The project was developed on state-owned land, and includes a new district office and baseyard complex that will house an administration building; a maintenance building; a mechanic/bridge shop building with an outside service platform; a materials testing building; a fueling station; a covered wash pad for vehicles; and a covered parking structure for state vehicles and equipment.
The work also involved construction of parking for public and employees; rerouting an existing open irrigation system to an underground system over the length of the property; placement of concrete pins; creation of a storage area; and installation of fencing around the property’s perimeter and within the property, Kyono said.
The facility will be the workplace of 47 maintenance workers and 22 office workers, he said.
Officials with the state Department of Accounting and General Services manage the current office site of the DOT division, and “it will be their call as to what happens with our space” in the State Building, Kyono said.
Kaua‘i County officials, meanwhile, have asked for an executive order from Gov. Linda Lingle to use the current DOT baseyard by the Kapa‘a New Park, apparently to expand county baseyard operations.
The county’s baseyard is immediately adjacent to the current DOT Highways Division baseyard.
Staff Writer Lester Chang may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net.
