Tag Archives: Kirkland Construction

February 6, 2012

Saddle Road Improvement Project Update

By Aaron Stene

Kirkland Construction has started excavating the future Kona side Saddle Road phase. These photographs were recently taken near the Kilohana hunter check-in station.

Kirkland’s  subcontractor, Arizona Drilling & Blasting is seeking laborers to be a part of the highway blasting crew. Please call Jeff Freadrich at (480) 730-1033 or e-mail him at jfreadrich@fisherind.com if interested.

Robert Bothman‘s leased slip form concrete paving machine should reach the Henry Street intersection by this Wednesday, according to the Ane Keohokalole Highway project manager. They have to wait three days to let the concrete cure. Then paving will resume back towards the West Hawaii Civic Center.

Lastly, The FCC denied Sandwich Isles Communications motion on January 30th, 2011. SIC was seeking a stay of the FCC’s September 29th, 2010 Paniolo Cable Company subsidy decision.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Hawaii Development, Hawaii Economy, Hawaii Planning, Hawaii Politics, Hawaii Transportation

January 16, 2012

Saddle Road Improvement Project Update

By Aaron Stene

The temporary orange barricades between m.m 29 and m.m 30.1 on Saddle Road is being replaced with permanent fencing. In addition, the shoulders were recently widened in this area. The CFLHD/HDOT did these improvements to prevent Nene from crossing the road or congregating by the shoulders.

Road and Highway Builders LLC did not install a Nene crossing between m.m 11 and m.m 19, according the CFLHD. I drove over this segment in late December and couldn’t find this crossing.

Lastly, Kirkland Construction is confident they’ll finish the earthwork phase of the last Kona side Saddle Road segment by December 2012, according to the HDOT’s Chief of Communications Dan Meisenzahl. I will believe this when I see it. The terrain in this area is probably nothing like Kirkland has faced before, so it will take a miracle if they finish six months ahead of schedule.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Hawaii Transportation

December 30, 2011

The Kona Blog’s Top 2011 Stories

By Aaron Stene

These are the Kona Blog’s top five stories from 2011:

1. March 11, 2011 Japan tsunami

2. Judge Strance’s December 16th, 2011 ruling, which reversed the LUC’s land classification reversion of The Villages at Aina Le’a project

3. The completion of the Mamalahoa (Hokuli’a) Bypass is assured. It was held up by 1250 Oceanside Partners financial problems and the Coupes decision to block the condemnation of part of their land for this roadway

4. Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening delays. This project is now slated to begin in April 2012

5. Saddle Road improvements continue. Kirkland Construction of Colorado recently started the next phase of this project.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Hawaii Development, Hawaii Economy, Hawaii Planning, Hawaii Politics, Hawaii Transportation

December 26, 2011

Hawaii DOT Advertised Latest Mamalahoa Highway Resurfacing Project

By Aaron Stene

The HDOT advertised the Mamalahoa Highway resurfacing project (between Makalei and Palani Junction) on Friday. Construction is slated to begin six months after bid opening .

Senator Green assured attendees of his Thursday talk story meeting that Hawaii County’s share of the Transient Accommodations Tax won’t be cut in 2012.

I recently spoke to the manager, who is overseeing the Palani Water Transmission project. He told me the fencing material  arrived at CTS’s baseyard on December 16th. This material will be used to complete fence around the new Palani Road water tank. I’m planning on following up with him this week to get an update.

The HDOT director gave an update on several other transportation projects in West Hawaii at Senator Green’s talk story meeting on Thursday.

Queen Kaahumanu Highway improvements at Kiholo Bay is slated to be completed by March 16th, 2012

Queen Kaahumanu Highway intersection improvements at Kawaihae Road will be advertised by December 2012.

Lastly, the Kona side Saddle Road segment is scheduled to be paved beginning in December 2012. Kirkland Construction has up to 19 months to complete the earthwork for this phase. Nevertheless, I doubt they’ll get it done within the DOT’s estimated time frame.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Hawaii Development, Hawaii Planning, Hawaii Technology, Hawaii Transportation

December 20, 2011

Saddle Road Improvement Project Update

By Aaron Stene

Nan has started to pour additional aggregate and install concrete forms for the second Ka’u side pavement segment on Palani Road (from the fire station to the Henry Street intersection). In addition, HELCO has removed their old wooden utility poles from the Kohala side of Palani Road. They replaced these poles with new wooden poles with one cable attached.

HELCO did this in preparation for the upcoming construction work on this side of the road.

The Honokohau Harbor improvement project is moving along. Willocks Construction has completed most of the asphalt paving work. They’re working on grading the gravel parking lot above the boat washdown area.

The Kaiminani Drive resurfacing project is slated to be advertised by January 2012 (or sooner).

Kirkland Construction is working six days a week preparing to start full scale excavation work on the next Saddle Road phase starting in January. They’ve cleared a road from the existing roadway to the baseyard, installed two water reservoirs and hooked it up to water stations along the right of way. In addition, they’re assembling a portable rock crusher, which will crush material on site.

Kirkland has apparently moved some equipment to the makai end of the project by Mamalahoa Highway. They’re establishing a baseyard in this area also.

Lastly, the HDOT received a 13.5 million dollar TIGER grant to improve Saddle Road. I hope this grant is used with other DOD funding to pave the last Kona side segment of Saddle Road.

3 comments   |  tags: , | posted in Hawaii Development, Hawaii Economy, Hawaii Planning, Hawaii Politics, Hawaii Transportation

December 19, 2011

Goodfellow Brothers Suing Aina Le’a LLC

By Aaron Stene

Goodfellow Brothers filed a lawsuit against Aina Le’a LLC, etc on November 15th, 2011. They constructed the incomplete backbone infrastructure for The Villages at Aina Le’a project. DW Aina Le’a Development LLC, which is affiliated with Aina Le’a LLC and is one of the defendants in this lawsuit, owes Goodfellow Brothers at least 1.64 million dollars for work rendered. I haven’t seen Goodfellow’s complaint, but it wouldn’t surprise me they’re trying to get them to pay up.

Aina Le’a apparently stopped paying Goodfellow a share of each investment made by Asian investors, according to this West Hawaii Today article.

These Asian investors, who bought a share of these condominium units, will be the ultimate losers. They likely won’t see a return on their investment despite being promised a 30% return over thirty months.

Lastly, Judge Strance issued a surprise ruling on Friday reversing the LUC’s land classification reversion of the Aina Le’a development and remanding it back to the State Land Use Commission.

This ruling was totally unexpected. I didn’t expect her to issue it so soon. Ho’ohiki stated oral arguments were scheduled to start on December 16th, 2011. In addition, she denied DW Aina Le’a Development’s motion to delay the LUC reclassification on September 26th, 2011.

This ruling will likely affect the outcome of Bridge Aina Le’a LLC’s December 19th, 2011 Court hearing in Federal Court. The judge is slated to hear the state’s motion requesting the Court dismiss Bridge’s lawsuit. In addition, it likely strengthens Bridge Aina Le’a LLC’s 35.7 million dollar claim against the State LUC.

I don’t necessarily agree Judge Strance made the right decision. Aina Le’a deliberately failed to abide by the LUC’s imposed conditions and haven’t paid their contractors in a timely manner.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Hawaii Development, Hawaii Economy, Hawaii Planning, Hawaii Politics, Hawaii Technology, Hawaii Transportation

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