FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           February 12, 2007

SEWER PIPE INSTALLATION UNDER KALANIANAOLE HIGHWAY BEGINS  

Workers today will begin pulling approximately 3,300 feet of 16-inch high-density polyethylene sewer pipe through a tunnel under Kalanianaole Highway from Kawaikui Beach Park to the Niu Valley Wastewater Pump Station next to the Niu Valley Shopping Center.

The pipe-pulling is expected to take less than 72 hours and is not expected to result in any lane closures on the highway.

The pipe-pulling work must be done around the clock, and interruptions must be minimized. If the pulling is delayed too long, the lubricating material in the tunnel is likely to harden and resuming the pull would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

A noise waiver has been obtained from the state Department of Health for the overnight work and affected residents and businesses have been notified.

 For this project, the less obtrusive horizontal directional drilling (HDD) method is being used as part of the City’s commitment to minimize the project’s impact on the community.  Unlike the conventional method of open trenching and laying of pipe, which would result in major lane closures on Kalanianaole Highway, HDD involves drilling, boring a tunnel and pulling a new pipe underground.

Once the new pipe is installed and operational, the City can remove the temporary pipe on the Kalanianaole median, which was installed in 2005 after the existing underground main ruptured repeatedly.    

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Craig Nishimura, 523-4716
Ken Kawahara, 692-5372

            Mark Matsunaga, 527-5767