The Wailua Cane Haul Bridge will be widened to two lanes and a bike and pedestrian path will be added as part of a $29.9 million contract which includes planning, design, rights-of-way and construction. Federal highway funds will cover 80
The Wailua Cane Haul Bridge will be widened to two lanes and a bike and pedestrian path will be added as part of a $29.9 million contract which includes planning, design, rights-of-way and construction.
Federal highway funds will cover 80 percent of the total project cost with state funds covering the remaining 20 percent, a news release says.
The construction management firm hired by the state for the project is Bow Construction Management Service. The general contractor is Unlimited Builders. Both are Kaua‘i companies.
The project involves two parallel bridges: the two-lane historic Wailua Bridge (mauka) and the one-lane Wailua Cane Haul Bridge (makai). The bridge complex was renamed the Bryan J. Baptiste Memorial Bridge in June in honor of the late former mayor who died suddenly June 24, 2008.
The mauka bridge will temporarily be converted to three lanes of traffic while an Acrow panel bridge is being launched in place of the cane haul road, eventually enlarging traffic flow to two northbound lanes. A bike/pedestrian path will also be added on the makai side of the new bridge.
Upon project completion, both lanes of the historic Wailua Bridge, which is part of Kuhio Highway, will flow southbound.
Construction impacts
One of the first activities that will impact traffic will be the removal of the makai sidewalk from the existing Wailua Bridge so that an additional lane of traffic can be carried on the existing bridge. Once the additional lane is added the Wailua Cane Haul Bridge will be closed and replacement work will begin.
During construction, morning rush-hour contraflow operations will continue to provide two lanes northbound and message boards will be positioned to alert motorists of upcoming roadwork.
Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2010.
