Traffic woes hit Kalanianaole Highway

More traffic woes today for East Oahu drivers as a long-awaited project gets underway on Kalanianaole Highway.

For the next six month, crews will fix a major artery to the eastside. It’s just one of the numerous road projects on the island.

This has become an all-too familiar sight on Oahu. This time, the bumper-to-bumper traffic sits on Kalanianaole Highway.

"It took them almost 45 minutes to get out of Hawaii Kai," one driver said.

"And we get up to what’s causing the traffic and they just had two lanes closed down to one two cops standing there and nothing else going on, for like three, four blocks you know," said Thomas G., driver.

Crews are working to remove an underground sewer pipe, that’s prompting lane closures. Once this project is done, the state will move forward with plans to resurface the road.

"Because we’ll have better roads, they’re not just going to repave the roads, like usually they do three inches off the top, they’re gonna really go down and really do the base," said Rep. Mark Hashem, (D) Niu Valley, Aina Haina, Kahala.

This project is the latest to hit Oahu. Last month, repairs began on the Karsten Thot bridge in Wahiawa, and its closure, continues to snarl traffic.

Here’s a glance at the other projects that include lane closures. There are five different projects on the H-1 Freeway, one on the H-3, another on the Moanalua Freeway, six projects on Farrington Highway and another six on Kamehameha Highway. Crews are also doing roadwork on Ala Moana Boulevard and Nimitz Highway. Some projects include nightwork.

In a media statement, the Department of Transportation said: "The number of projects currently in-progress on state highways is not unusual. Major projects…are programmed and scheduled years in advance to ensure that our freeways and highways are modernized and properly maintained."

Still, drivers say their patience, is running out.

"On several occasions my bike has overheated and I’ve had to pull over the side of the road a couple times to let it cool down," said Scott Johnson, driver.

"All in all, no, not worth it," said Kevin Jackson, driver.

The Board of Water Supply was scheduled to begin a project today on Ward Avenue. But that project has been pushed back a couple of weeks because one more permit is needed. But it will mean more lane closures for seven months.