PUHI — The $39 million project will take two years to complete and there will be construction delays, but the end result should be shorter commute times for those driving between Puhi and Lihu‘e, state officials said. The groundbreaking Wednesday
PUHI — The $39 million project will take two years to complete and there will be construction delays, but the end result should be shorter commute times for those driving between Puhi and Lihu‘e, state officials said.
The groundbreaking Wednesday morning marked the official start of the two-mile project to expand Kaumuali‘i Highway from two lanes to four lanes from the old Lihu‘e Plantation mill bridge to Anonui Street at the entrance to Komohana Subdivision just west of the Puhi Road intersection.
A second, two-lane bridge mauka of the existing mill bridge is also planned, with state Department of Transportation officials hopeful the new bridge will be under construction before the four-lane Kaumuali‘i project is completed.
“We do ask for your patience, of course, because we will be impacting the area,” said Brennon Morioka, state DOT director.
“This is a great, great day for everyone on Kaua‘i,” said state Rep. Jimmy Tokioka, D-Lihu‘e-Koloa, adding that the widened highway will bring a lot of “fluidity” to the island.
“I think this is a big deal for Kaua‘i. This is huge,” said Tokioka, forsaking duties at the state Legislature in order to attend the blessing and groundbreaking along the highway fronting the YMCA pool.
“This project is very significant. This employs people,” said Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona. “I know it will be on time and in budget.”
“Be patient during construction. There will be delays,” said Tokioka, giving credit to former state Reps. Bertha Kawakami and Ezra Kanoho, who “fought hard” for funds for the long-anticipated project.
“Keep smiling, because it’s going to be OK,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. “It’s a great day, a day to celebrate.
“It’s all about the jobs,” he said. “It’s all about the benefits for the people of Kaua‘i.”
“We want to build it right the first time” and come in under budget and ahead of schedule, said Benjamin Prock, Hawai‘i area manager for general contractor Kiewit Pacific Construction Company.
The Rev. Ipo Kahaunaele-Ferreira of Ke Akua Mana Church performed the blessing in Hawaiian, explaining in English that she was asking for God’s blessings on all the work that came before Wednesday’s ceremonies, for patience on the part of workers and motorists, for safety of all involved, and blessings for anything workers might find while preparing the ground for the widening.
Morioka said the late Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan Baptiste reminded state DOT officials that Kaumuali‘i needed attention as well as Kuhio Highway on the Eastside.
Joan Conrow will be hosting a discussion from 4 to 6 p.m. today on KKCR regarding the threats to the historic and cultural properties and practices at Wailua that may be impacted by the Kuhio Highway widening project, according to an e-mail from Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation attorney Alan Murakami.
All told, the current state DOT projects on both highways probably represent the largest-ever investment in roads Kaua‘i has ever seen at one time, said Morioka.
“Investing in infrastructure is an investment in the economy and in people,” he said.
The widened Kaumuali‘i will include sidewalks and should have more room for bicyclists. Intersections will also be upgraded and improved the entire length of the project, said Morioka.
That includes a new signal at the highway’s intersection with a former cane haul road known as Rapozo crossing, with the makai side of the highway representing the entrance to the planned Safeway store between Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative’s headquarters in the Hana Kukui Building and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School.
Safeway has said its project has been delayed because they are waiting for the highway work to be completed, but the DOT said it is not to blame.
Carvalho said the widening project will provide around 400 jobs.
“We’re all benefiting from this project,” he said.
There are 11 subcontractors associated with the widening project, including some Kaua‘i companies, such as Wellington Fencing Company, R. Electric, Inc., and Kaua‘i Hydroseed & Landscape.
Ray McCormick, state DOT-Highways Kaua‘i district engineer, said the second mill bridge will cost between $25 million and $30 million, and funding is available for the design work. State officials are seeking funding for the construction phase, he said.
The plan is to have the bridge construction underway before the four-lane highway from the bridge to Puhi is complete, he said. The bridge should take around 18 months to complete.
