HONOLULU- Ala Moana Boulevard, one of Oahu’s busiest thoroughfares, has hit a rough patch in the name of progress. Since January underground utility work has resulted in steel plates covering two of the west bound lanes of the busy boulevard just past Queen Street.
“A lot of the residents do mention to me they feel like their vehicles are being damaged every time they go over those metal plates,” said Ron Komine, resident manager at 1350 Ala Moana, a high-rise condominium located nearby.
Although the state Transportation Departments has not received any complaints of damaged cars as a result of the work on Ala Moana Boulevard, a 2009 report by the non-profit group TRIP shows Hawaii’s rough roads cost drivers an average of $503 per year, or $431 million statewide.
"I have a truck so I don’t feel it, but my wife has a Lexus so every bump I go over she’s screaming at me,” Komine joked. “I traveled all over the United States I think to roads in Hawaii are in the worst shape.”
The $34 million project is scheduled to last until sometime in December. However, it’s not only drivers who are being inconvenienced. Much of the utility work is being done at night because of the tremendous amount of traffic Ala Moana supports every day.
“It would be a traffic snafu, so that’s the reason why we had to do this at night,” said DOT spokesman Dan Meisenzahl. “We know it’s an inconvenience to the people who live in the area right now, but as soon as we’re out of there we think it’s going to be great for everybody.”
Once finished, the project will result in a noticeable transformation of Ala Moana Boulevard from Piikoi Street to Fort Street, about a two mile stretch. The underground utility work will allow wooden posts that secure utility lines to be removed. In their place the state is erecting eighty new lamp posts that will match those already in place in Waikiki.
“Everything’s going to be underground,” said Meisenzahl. “It’s really going to serve the people of Hawaii for generations to come.”
Once contractor Goodfellow Bros. Inc. finishes all of the initial underground work on Ala Moana Boulevard, Hawaiian Electric Company, Oceanic Cable and Hawaiian Telcom will install all of their underground lines.
“We wanted to go in there beautify it and we think it’s going to be great for residents and travelers alike,” said Meisenzahl.
Seventy-three percent the project cost is being paid for by the federal government. Utility companies are paying seven percent, while the state DOT is picking up the remaining twenty percent.
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See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
