A combination of last month’s heavy rains and years of deferred maintenance on county roads have put members of contracted resurfacing crews behind in their work, Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste said during his weekly media briefing late last week. Now
A combination of last month’s heavy rains and years of deferred maintenance on county roads have put members of contracted resurfacing crews behind in their work, Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste said during his weekly media briefing late last week.
Now that the heavy rains have stopped and things are beginning to dry up, road repairs have resumed on county roads, said Baptiste in a press release.
“Road resurfacing projects were set back due to the rain,” said Baptiste. “With sunny skies appearing again, work can continue on county roads.”
He said many projects had been deferred over the years, and that one of his priorities has been to take care of basics such as road repairs.
To support this effort, increased funding has been allocated to the county’s island-wide resurfacing program.
“We’ve also included time restrictions in our road-resurfacing contracts to ensure that these projects are done expeditiously,” said the mayor.
Jas. W. Glover Limited leaders were awarded a $1.63 million contract last September to handle road-resurfacing projects in the Kawaihau, Koloa, Lihu’e and Waimea districts.
Company workers began working on county roads early this year, but were forced to suspend these activities because of the rain.
According to county Department of Public Works officials, Glover employees just returned to their road-resurfacing work last week, after 40 days of constant rain sidelined them.
Included on their list of road repairs are Apopo Road, Ihona Place and Kealia Road in the Kawaihau district; and Kikala, Koloa, Lawa’i, Piko, Po’ohiwi and Pu’uwai roads in the Koloa district.
Niu Construction Inc. leaders won a $238,000 contract in 2005 to re-pave roads in the Hanalei district, including Ho’okui Place, Ho’okui Road, Ihope Place, Iki Place, Imua Road, Kolo Road, Malulani Place, and Malulani Street, Pili Road and Pukalani Place. These projects were completed just before the heavy rains hit, Baptiste said.
Nearly $1.7 million was budgeted for island-wide resurfacing in fiscal year ’06, while approximately $2 million has been proposed for FY07.
According to Ryan Nishikawa, chief of the DPW Field Operations and Maintenance Division, bids on repaving projects for FY06 were just opened, and an announcement of the contract award will be announced by the end of the month.
Nearly 12 miles of roadway are slated to be resurfaced before the end of this year, Baptiste said.
In the Hanalei district, Kilauea and Mihi roads, Pili Koa and Opelu streets, and Malolo Place are on tap for road-work.
Hekili, Hoku and Honua roads, Huina Street, and Kula Road, Kokeanu Place, Lekia Place, Ohu, O’o, Pua, Waikolia and Wailana roads will be resurfaced in the Kawaihau district.
In Lihu’e, Haleko Road, Ho’ohuki Street, Hulemalu Road, Kaia Place, Kailewa, Kapena, Laukona, Luina, Makau, Mokoi and Upena streets are scheduled for repaving.
In the Koloa district, Alana Place, Kaloke and Kapau roads, Ipuka, Kilohana and Kipuka streets, Kuli Road, Muku Place, Pahoehoe Street, Waikomo Road, Ulu Ali’i and Waho streets, Ulu Ali’i Place, and Welelau Place will be resurfaced.
On the Westside, Akala, ‘Ele’ele, Keokeo, Melemele, Poni, Ulaula, Uliuili roads are on the drawing board for roadwork, Baptiste said.
