It is maddening.
You’re driving along, listening to music, only a few miles from your destination, when you come upon it. You cringe. You wish you could go another way, but this is the only way. Yes, you are face to face with the dreaded, unexpected roadwork. You wish someone had told you.
So, you sit. And wait. And somehow, seeming to defy all laws of nature, no vehicle seems to be moving. The line grows longer, as does the wait.
And temperatures rise.
It’s ironic, isn’t it, that Kauai’s road woes are well known. Yet, it provides little comfort when we seen workers out working on those roads. Seems, lately, there’s a lot of road work to navigate through — and around, if possible.
Give those road crews credit. They work quickly and courteously to keep traffic flowing. They don’t want a long line of vehicles any more than you do. We appreciate their efforts to keep vehicles moving.
And we need to do a better job here of letting you know about these road closures, where they are, when they are, how long they’ll last, so you can do your best to avoid them, plan your way around them.
Here, from the Hawaii Department of Transportation, is what’s currently in the works on Kauai:
Kuhio Highway
w Kilauea to Princeville (night work)
Lane closure between mile markers 21 and 28 through Friday morning, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., for highway safety improvements. Traffic will be contraflowed.
w Hanamaulu-Wailua (night work)
Alternating lane closures in both directions between North Leho Drive and Kapule Highway through Friday, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., for road reconstruction and repaving.
w Lihue to Haena
Alternating lane closures in both directions from the beginning of the route in Lihue to the end of the route in Haena through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., for vegetation control and roadside maintenance.
Ahukini Road
w Lihue
Alternating lane closures in both directions in the vicinity of the Kuhio Highway intersection through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., for vegetation control and roadside maintenance.
Alternating lane closures in both directions from the beginning of the route at the intersection with Kuhio Highway to the intersection with Kapule Highway through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., for vegetation control and roadside maintenance.
Maalo Road
w Kapaia
Alternating lane closures in both directions from the beginning of the route at the intersection with Kuhio Highway to the end of the route at Wailua Falls through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., for vegetation control and roadside maintenance.
Kapaa bypass road
w Wailua-Kapaa
Alternating lane closures in both directions through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., for vegetation control and roadside maintenance.
Kuamoo Road
w Wailua
Alternating lane closures in both directions from the beginning of the route at the intersection with Kuhio Highway to the end of the route through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., for vegetation control and roadside maintenance.
Most of these road closures are routine and won’t cause any problems, but if you’re on a tight scheule, plan accordingly. The key one to note is the night work on Kuhio Highway starting at 8 p.m. between North Leho Drive and Kapule Highway through Friday, for road reconstruction and repaving. Traffic was backed up the other night, with about 15-to-20-minute delays, so in the big picture nothing to fret over.
DOT and the county do a good job of posting road work in advance, so we need to do our part and let you know what’s going on with the roads. But if you come upon some unexpected roadwork, don’t get mad. You might lose a few minutes of your day, but you’ll safely get where you’re going. That’s what matters most.
