Ane Keohokalole Highway Tour Photos

I toured the Ane Keohokalole Highway project today. Nan/CTS Earthmoving Inc. has made significant progress on this much-needed roadway. This is pretty remarkable since they only started work in mid-April. In addition, I was able to ask the tour guides a lot questions about the project. I’ve highlighted what I learned below:

1. The construction of this roadway will employ 70-100 individuals during the life of the project

2. The roadway is anticipated to be completed by January 2012

3. Palani Road between Queen Kaahumanu Highway and Henry Street intersection will be reconstructed and widened by an additional three lanes (two lanes each way along with a turn lane at the Kamaka’eha Avenue intersection)

4. They expect to start paving by the end of the year between Kealakehe High School and Palani/Henry Street intersection.

5. The bulk of the new highway (except the Henry Street/Palani Road intersection) will be paved with Portland Cement Concrete.

6. They estimate it will take one to two weeks to pave the Henry Street to Queen Kaahumanu Highway segment of Palani Road and two months to pave the Henry Street intersection to Kealakehe High School segment of the mid-level road.

6a. [regarding the paving of the Henry Street to Queen Kaahumanu Highway segment of Palani Road]

From the project engineer:

“The two week time frame is for each of 3 separate paving operations – this how long it will take from the time we close a strip of the road until it is open to traffic again. We are planning on phasing the work so that we don’t close the road down completely – but rather do the work in 3 phases. The elapsed duration for all three phases is actually on the order of 2-1/2 months.

Please be aware that there will be about 6-1/2 months of preparatory work along the side of Palani road prior to the paving operations – this is for the widening of the corridor, as well as for relocation of utilities. So all in all, we should be ready for about 9 months of disturbance along that section of road – though most of it along the shoulders.”

7. The reconstruction/widening of Palani Road is expected to start in mid-August

7a. [regarding the paving of the existing roadway segments of the Mid-Level Road project]

From the project engineer:

“The 2 existing segments of AKH will be paved at the completion of the main (Phase-1) portion – we just won’t tear them up for preparatory work until we get close.”

8. They are holding off on reconstructing the existing mid-level road segment between Kealakehe Parkway to Kealakehe High School until later on.

Existing Mid-Level Road segment between Kealakehe Parkway and Kealakehe High School

Existing Mid-Level Road segment (towards Kealakehe High School)

Nan/CTS Earthmoving Inc. Mid-Level Road project headquarters

CTS's rock crushing equipment above Kmart

Future Mid-Level Road segment

Future Mid-Level Road segment (towards the Palani Road/Henry Street intersection)

Above KMart and the quarry

Future Mid-Level Road segment (looking in a Ka'u direction)

CTS excavator digging a trench for underground utilities

CTS excavators working near a newly uncovered lava tube

Mid-Level Road segment near Kealakehe High School

CTS excavator clearing behind the future West Hawaii Civic Center