The state Department of Transportation confirmed on Friday afternoon that ownership of the portion of Kalanianaole Avenue in Hilo between Kanolelehua Avenue and Kuhio Street is expected to be transferred from the county to the state in January.
This section of road includes the Kalanianaole Avenue Improvement Project, which has been plagued by change orders, delays and cost overruns since its start in March 2018. This includes the partial closure of one lane from the road – the main access road to the Keaukaha community – with a traffic detour towards Keaukaha.
County Councilor Sue Lee Loy, whose district includes Keaukaha, told the Tribune-Herald that the Keaukaha community association was informed on Wednesday evening of the impending transfer of the road by the county’s public works department.
“There is a lot at stake in making this work,” said Lee Loy. “I’m really worried about this. We have an unfinished project. The ownership of roads is changing. And frankly, that’s a broken asset right now.
Lee Loy said the community association had a lot of questions for DPW staff, adding, “I don’t think they got the answers they wanted.”
The county on Wednesday announced that it had terminated the contract with Goodfellow Bros., the construction company hired to widen approximately one mile of Kalanianaole between Railroad Avenue and Silva Street, including the installation of an additional sidewalk and shoulder. paved, a turning lane, bike paths, a water line and drainage improvements.
No mention was made in the county press release about the transfer of the road scheduled for next month, but Cyrus Johnasen, spokesman for Mayor Mitch Roth, confirmed on Friday that the portion of the road will be transferred. He said, however, that the transfer would not take place until the road project was completed.
County public works director Ikaika Rodenhurst said after a year of negotiations with Goodfellow over a change, “it was clear we weren’t going to come to an agreement.”
The county decided to throw in the trowel, so to speak, when it couldn’t come to an agreement with the contractor about a change of paving materials from asphalt to concrete. The change – which lowered the county’s estimates of the cost of the project from $ 18.37 million to $ 22 million – was necessitated by the presence of Hawaii Electric’s underground fuel lines that are vulnerable to the pressure caused by the asphalt rollers, the county said.
Hawaiian Electric spokeswoman Kristen Okinaka said the utility moved poles along the pavement at the county’s request in 2016 and was told in 2019 of the county’s plan to repav the pavement “and possibly affect our pipeline “. She said the notification is done through the Hawaii One call center’s mandatory Call Before You Dig program.
“Since then, we have been working with the county, and in September 2020 we developed a federally regulated solution for an underground pipeline,” Okinaka said. “We will continue to work with the county and other utilities to implement this solution.
The county’s website still shows a completion date of February 2022 for the road project, but the county earlier this year pushed that projection until August 2022. And now the finish line will likely be stretched even further. far into the future.
Rodenhurst said the county will have to “re-bid the remaining work”.
Sherise Kana’e-Kane, DPW Information and Education Specialist, said that to date, $ 7.06 million has been paid for the project. She said the county withheld 5% from progress payments to Goodfellow. According to Kana’e-Kane, new offers will be solicited in January, with the new contract scheduled to begin by April 1.
“DPW will immediately hire a new contractor to take over the management of barriers, markings and general road maintenance to ensure public safety in the construction area,” she said. “In addition, DPW is preparing an application package to hire a contractor to complete the remaining tasks of the project, which include additional drainage works, relocation of the water pipe, concrete paving of the main road and paving. asphalt shoulders. “
Not surprisingly, there is frustration among members of the Keaukaha community – many of whom live on Hawaiian lands.
This community has, over the years, coped with noise from the Hilo International Airport, is next door to the Port of Hilo and surrounding light industry, and has been subject to sewage issues. This includes an Oct. 18 release in Puhi Bay of two million gallons of treated effluent that had not received their final chemical disinfection.
“I don’t know what the level of frustration is,” said Pat Kahawaiolaa, president of the Keaukaha Community Association. “Frustration is frustration – but it’s very, very frustrating, not just for me. A lot of people complain about ‘that road’, but they’re on their way to the beach. When they’re done with the beach, they take “that road” on the way back. But for us the frustration is getting in and out for work, for shopping, for our daily life. It kind of affected our bus service. new bus administration says, “Oh, we can’t turn into Keaukaha anymore”.
“But the level of frustration? I don’t know what is higher than pissed off. Is there anything higher than nervousness? “
Kahawaiolaa said he drove on Kilauea Avenue in Hilo on Wednesday and noticed the difference in progress between this paving project and the Kalanianaole project.
“They are finishing. Finish! “He apologized.” They’ve got sidewalks and messed up mailboxes, stuff. And we’re stuck with the same old shit.
Johnasen called the project “a top priority, not only for the residents and residents of Keaukaha, but for the entire east side of the island of Hawaii.”
“We’ve inherited a lot of the road and project issues, but that’s no excuse,” Johnasen said. “We want to make sure this is done efficiently and quickly, but in a way that will last and be a good road for the community for a long time to come.”
Johnasen also addressed the “deep and legitimate sense of iniquity” felt by the largely Native Hawaiian community of Keaukaha and all residents of East Hawaii “who regularly frequent very run down and dilapidated Kalanianaole Avenue.” .
“We are committed to tackling this perception head-on,” Johnasen said. “Unfortunately, at this point, the discussions are inexpensive, and the only way to regain the community’s trust and goodwill is to put our efforts where our mouth is and get this project through – and well. do it.
“As a native of Hawaii and a former resident of Keaukaha, I can only speak for my experience, which has been marred by mismanagement, poor communication and ever-changing deadlines,” he said. “Our administration understands this, accepts responsibility and is ready to do whatever it takes to get this project and all other projects across our island well done.
“Our residents deserve it and we thank them for their understanding and willingness to move forward – together. “
Lee Loy – who has criticized the management of the project – said it was time to find a solution.
“I would love to see everyone involved in the project – the state’s DOT highways and ports, utility companies, gas, water (Hawaiian Electric) and the county – to develop a plan for it. action that they could present to the community in the next 10 to 15 days, because the community deserves to know.
Email John Burnett at [email protected]