I would like to acknowledge the state Department of Transportation Highways Division for its outstanding performance in: 1) repaving the roads under its jurisdiction on Kauai and 2) restoring the road on the North Shore damaged by the 2018 flood.
From 2015 to today, the DOT has resurfaced almost 40 miles out of some 100-plus miles of road that it owns. These roads include major stretches of Kaumuali‘i, Kapule and Kuhio highways, on which thousands of us drive daily, as well as major connector roads such as Ahukini and Nawiliwili roads.
Resurfacing over one-third of its road inventory in five years is great preventive maintenance. The DOT is saving taxpayers lots of money. Additionally, it is giving users a better experience on the road and less wear and tear on our vehicles. I have also noticed that when the DOT resurfaces a stretch of road, it also makes improvements, where feasible, such as widening the shoulders for bikes and pedestrians, re-grassing the adjacent cuts to better stabilize them and prevent landslides, and installing brighter road reflectors that make night driving safer.
In the last two years, the DOT did its exemplary maintenance in the midst of the herculean challenge of restoring the stretch of Kuhio Highway destroyed by the 2018 flood. As a councilmember back then, I had the opportunity to view the damage, which was unimaginable — the makai lane of Kuhio Highway leading to Wainiha Bay had collapsed into the ocean below, and there were many landslides blocking the road between Waipa and Ke‘e.
When the road opened this past summer, I was awestruck by the phenomenal restoration that had occurred.
Both projects required financial, political and logistical support. Thanks are due to the elected leaders who provided funding for both projects, and with respect to the North Shore road restoration, the support agencies and community members whose kokua was pivotal.
Most of all, I want to thank the DOT, its employees, its contractors and their employees who did the work “on the ground” and got both jobs done — specifically, Deputy Director for Highways Ed Sniffen; Kauai District Engineer Larry Dill; all the DOT employees on Kauai and in Honolulu who worked on the projects; the contractors and subcontractors; engineers and consultants, equipment operators, employees and workers of all the companies involved in both projects.
Mahalo to all of you for doing an awesome job!
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JoAnn Yukimura is a former mayor and former councilmember of Kauai, and a Lihue resident.
How come JoAnn Yukimura does not even mention the huge contribution that Robertson played in donating his specially designed low clearance landing craft that brought heavy equipment to the very edges of the damaged sites that no other agencies can do?
Without his assistance, DOT would still be working on this project. Come on JoAnn, you’re just massaging the outcome for your own political agenda.
On-point Kane Oyama! I mAhalo all of the working crews, ALL! However, original infrastructure for this 3rd world Hawaiian Kingdom nation island continues to fall apart. We are hopeful that these upgrades will continue, until the 90-day Exit strategy begins. We will have more than enough monies, housing, and every other perk that is owed to the peoples in perpetuity to what has occurred since becoming occupied via regime u.s.a. military standards. We are moving forward and upward and folks like the used to be mayors, senators, council, and practically every “leader” past to present, in this Ruse, game of charades, COK!
Tiss tiss… Yukimura wasted hundreds of millions (5 million per mile) for public roads to build the bike path and revitalization pork projects in Lihue that was a total of over $20 million. She RAISED taxes to build county hundreds of miles of faux county roads (misinformation propaganda on what is county and state roads).
She helped raise food prices by blocking big box to compete against the monopolies on Kauai. Family and friends made millions off of their retail properties because of it.
She wanted the speculators to feast on the inflated rent prices by building apartments (luxury) to the appeasements of her campaign donors.
Fluff written by a disgraced individual that failed as being Mayor and failed even worst as a county council members.
Call it like it so but DOT had pork projects that lasted years when they should have lasted months.
Public Corruption on kauai and the state of Hawaii is out of control.
All you have to do is read about it.
Hopefully the Feds can finally slow down the abuse.
She always sucks up to the north shore, never worries about the rest of the island. Drive around Joann, state and county roadways suck! Go up Kuamoo, drive the roads in Kekaha then maybe you will see how you put your foot, again in your mouth.