Department of Transportation | Needed highway improvements completed in Nanakuli and Puna

An additional lane opened Tuesday on Keaau-Pahoa Road on Hawaii Island and on Farrington Highway on Oahu.

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) announces the opening yesterday of the Turning Lane on Farrington Highway at Haleakala Avenue and Nanakuli Avenue and the substantial completion of the Keaau-Pahoa Road, 4-Lane Re-Striping Project, Keaau Town (Mile Post 2.0) to Shower Drive (Mile Post 4.0).

Keaau-Pahoa Road

Physical work on the Keaau-Pahoa Road, 4-Lane Re-Striping Project, Keaau Town (Mile Post 2.0) to Shower Drive (Mile Post 4.0), also known as Keaau-Pahoa Widening, Phase 1, began Oct. 21, 2017, and was completed Jan. 16, 2018. This project added a fourth lane on Highway 130 in Puna through removal of rumble strips and striping. An associated project to put a traffic signal in at the intersection of Highway 130 and Shower Drive/Pohaku Drive was substantially completed Jan. 16, 2018, with the new traffic signal being put into operation the same day.

Farrington Highway Intersection Improvements, Haleakala Avenue and Nanakuli Avenue (Turning Lane)

HDOT opened the turning lane on Farrington Highway at Haleakala Avenue and Nanakuli Avenue to traffic on Jan. 11, 2018, and completed the coordinated adjustments of the traffic signals in time for the official opening of the turning lane on Jan. 16, 2018.

The goal of the Farrington Highway Intersection Improvements, Haleakala Avenue and Nanakuli Avenue project was to improve the only corridor through Nanakuli by:

• Adding center left turn lanes at Farrington Highway’s intersections with Haleakala Avenue and Nanakuli Avenue;
• Improving roadway drainage;
• Upgrading street lighting and traffic signal systems;
• Relocating existing overhead and underground utilities;
• Constructing an 8-ft wide shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists;
• Realigning the historic Oahu Railway & Land railroad tracks;
• Constructing retaining walls to support the restored railroad tracks and prevent erosion onto the new path; and,
• Providing a separated walkway fronting the park, school, and learning center.

Finish work remaining on the project, includes work on the sidewalk and final pavement striping. Details on the lane closures for the final pavement striping will be posted on our website at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork/oahu/ as they are scheduled and electronic message boards will be placed in advance of the project site to alert the community of the lane closures as well.

The crosswalk fronting Ka Waihona O Ka Naauao Public Charter School and the bus stops across from Haleakala Avenue and Nanakuli Avenue are opened.

HDOT reminds motorists driving this redesigned roadway to observe the posted speed limit and signage for their safety and the safety of the Nanakuli community.

Nanakuli Contraflow

The Nanakuli Contraflow, initially put in place to mitigate the effects of the construction for the turning lanes project, is set to operate until Summer 2018 with options to continue if funding is available.

The initial setup of the contraflow post opening of the turning lane was to have three westbound lanes (with one lane in the turning lane) and two eastbound lanes throughout the length of the contraflow. In order to have the two continuous lanes going eastbound throughout the contraflow, it would need to be shortened to start just before the Nanakuli Stream bridge and end at Helelua Street where the turning lanes project widening ended.

Overall, this would minimize the effectiveness of the contraflow westbound. Therefore, it was decided to compromise between impacts. The contraflow on the east side is shortened to maintain the two eastbound lanes there, but the contraflow on the west side is extended to Nanaikeola Street to increase westbound capacity. This means that eastbound traffic is reduced to one lane for a short distance, then allowed to go to two lanes from Helelua Street to the end of the contraflow.

HDOT inspectors, the contraflow contractor, and special duty police officers working the contraflow will continue to collect data to see how we can improve the contraflow now that the turning lane has been opened.

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