FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      July 17, 2006

MAJOR ROADWORK SLATED

FOR PEARLRIDGE AREA

            Mayor Mufi Hannemann today announced the City will be making major improvements to traffic flow at the intersection of Moanalua Road and Kaonohi Street, near Pearlridge Center.

            The mayor said, “I’ve known since serving as district Councilman [1995-2000] that there were major problems at that location, which the City had to resolve.  We’re now making improvements to ease the flow of traffic in this increasingly congested intersection that serves two popular spots in the Leeward area, Pearlridge Center and the Kam Swap Meet, and a large residential community mauka of Moanalua Road.  The modifications should also improve safety by discouraging jaywalking between those two sites and illegal turns by motorists.”

            Construction is expected to commence on July 24 and to be completed before the holiday season.  The improvements include:

·       adding another left-turn lane from Kaonohi Street onto Moanalua Road in both directions so there will be two left turn lanes on the green arrow;

·       decreasing the makai-bound through lanes from two to one on Kaonohi Street, below the intersection with Moanalua Road;

·       adding a dedicated right-turn lane on Moanalua Road onto Kaonohi, in both directions;

·       constructing a raised median and four-foot-high chain link fence on Kaonohi Street, makai of Moanalua, to prevent jaywalking between Pearlridge Center and the Kam Swap Meet;

·       modifying traffic signals and adding emergency vehicle preemption detectors;

·       extending the no-parking zone on both sides of Moanalua Road, ewa of the intersection, which will eliminate 31 parking spaces;

·       eliminating parking in the town-bound direction of Moanalua Road, from Kaonohi Street to Ualo Street, accounting for about 19 spaces; and

·       extending the no-parking zone along the ewa side of Kaonohi Street, makai of Moanalua, which will eliminate space for 11 cars.

            Melvin Kaku, director of the Department of Transportation Services, said, “The changes to the Moanalua-Kaonohi intersection will streamline the flow of vehicles by increasing left-turn storage capacity and providing dedicated right-turn capability.

            “But while we want to reduce congestion, we also want to improve traffic safety.  We’ll achieve this goal by erecting a raised median and fence to discourage jaywalkers from crossing a heavily traveled street to go between Pearlridge and the Kam Swap Meet, decreasing the number of illegal U-turns on Kaonohi at Ualo Place, and preventing illegal left turns from the mauka-most Pearlridge Center exit on Kaonohi and from Kaonohi into the same Pearlridge entrance.”

            The cost of the project is $414,763.  Design consultant is Fukunaga & Associates, Inc.

Standard Electric is the contractor.

Aiea Roadwork Map - Existing (PDF)

Aiea Roadwork Map - Future (PDF)

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Contact:

Michael Oshiro, Department of Transportation Services, 527-5031

Mark Kikuchi, Department of Transportation Services, 527-5026