LIHU‘E — It has been nearly 100 days since a three-mile stretch of Kuhio Highway from Hanama‘ulu to Wailua has had a 40 mph speed limit, down from 50 mph. There have been no fatal accidents, no serious accidents and
LIHU‘E — It has been nearly 100 days since a three-mile stretch of Kuhio Highway from Hanama‘ulu to Wailua has had a 40 mph speed limit, down from 50 mph.
There have been no fatal accidents, no serious accidents and fewer overall accidents since the speed-limit drop, said Kaua‘i Police Department acting Capt. Mark Scribner.
Most drivers are obeying the new speed limit, though KPD officers issued 123 citations on that stretch last month, Scribner said.
At a state Department of Education public meeting in the cafeteria of E.H. Wilcox Elementary School here Tuesday night, Scribner said he hopes he didn’t jinx anything by his public statements on Kuhio Highway safety.
The speed drop adds just 90 seconds to normal drive time, said Scribner. “Safety is our No. 1 priority out there.”
Scribner has a sunburned face from the hours he’s been spending helping traffic flow in Wailua with construction on the two bridges over the Wailua River.
He said someone took a shot with a gun at one of KPD’s informational signs, causing $1,500 in damage.
County Engineer Donald Fujimoto said he observed lots of enforcement early that seemed to help, but so far this year he has seen lots of 50-mph traffic on that stretch. “Vigilance” is needed, he said.
Scribner said there were two KPD traffic officers on the stretch as the Tuesday meeting was happening, and that enforcement is ongoing.
Darryl Perry, KPD chief, said he initially thought barriers between the southbound and northbound lanes of the highway were the only answer, but that he has seen reduced speeds, and courteous drivers slowing down, since the speed drop.
Ray McCormick, state DOT Highways Division Kaua‘i district engineer, said part of the reason for the speed reduction is because portions of the highway present drivers with sight limitations.
Plan A abandoned
McCormick said Plan A was to install raised delineators — called “candlesticks” in his trade — which reflect light from headlights, in the center strip separating the southbound and northbound lanes.
But that plan was scrapped, as it was feared the presence of the delineators would make motorists drive closer to the narrow shoulders, especially in the southbound lane, said McCormick.
Rumble strips will be installed in the center line, but not on the shoulders, as such strips are perilous to bicyclists, he said. The strips serve to alert drivers that they are drifting toward a lane of oncoming traffic.
Soon, there will be four “smart signs,” which record date, time and speed of passing motorists, giving state officials information on when the speeding occurs for highway-planning purposes, and giving KPD information to use for enforcement purposes, said McCormick.
Of the four signs, two will be placed at either end of the cane-haul bridge, and state DOT-H officials will work with KPD officers on the best placement positions for the other two, he said.
There are ongoing traffic counts, which may lead to revision of hours of contra-flow. Now, Lihu‘e-bound traffic diminishes after 9 a.m. on weekdays, he said.
A consultant has been hired to do an analysis on and design for a new, four-way intersection at the entrances to Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center and Wailua Golf Course, with the golf course entry likely to be shifted toward Wailua to line up the entryways.
It has not yet been determined if that new intersection will include a traffic signal, he said. Funding has been lined up for the realignment, but there will be no construction until 2011, said McCormick.
Pedestrian, bike safety
Getting pedestrians and bicyclists across Wailua River with the ongoing construction has proven to be a challenge, said Scribner. Around 20 to 25 people a day now have to be directed in the best way over the river, complicated by an uncooperative traffic signal at the Kuhio and Kuamo‘o Road intersection just north of the river, where a pedestrian crossing of the highway is present, Scribner said.
In contrast to the September meeting on the Wailua highway improvements, when 25 people showed up and emotions were running high in the wake of a double-fatal accident along the stretch last summer, Tuesday’s meeting had only around 10 members of the public present.
Both attendees and state DOT officials took that as a sign people are happy with the improvements undertaken so far, they said.
Working together, getting things done and doing what they said they would do, state officials not only changed the corridor, but changed the whole community mindset, said Ray Blouin, general manager of the Aston Aloha Beach Hotel in Wailua.
“This turnout is a good indication that things are cool,” said Blouin. If there were problems, the room would be packed, he said.
Jiro Sumada, DOT-H deputy director, agreed.
The state also plans to widen Kuhio Highway to four lanes from its Kuamo‘o Road intersection at Coco Palms Resort to the highway intersection with the Kapa‘a bypass road, Sumada said.
Another public meeting will be scheduled when the highway short-term widening project is ready to begin, Sumada said.
In the meantime, anyone with questions, comments or concerns about the highway may call DOT spokeswoman Tammy Mori’s office, toll-free 274-3141, then 7-2160# after the recorded greeting, or go online to hawaii.gov/dot, she said.
