To view an update on the major transportation projects in Ewa click here.

Answers from Director Brennon Morioka, Dept. of Transportation

North South Road, Fort Weaver Road, Fort Barrette Road, East West Connector road, Intra-Island Passenger Ferry, Leeward Bikeway, and Constructing Highways and Freeways via the Tolling Concept.Click Here.

Fort Weaver Road Widening Update

HDCC (Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company) is planning on opening up three lanes of traffic from the start of the project to the Old Fort Weaver Road/Aawa Drive intersection at the end of January 2009 and to the Renton Road intersection in March 2009. Click Here.

 North-South Road

A new H-1 freeway exit midway between the Waipahu/Ewa/Kunia exit and the Makakilo/Kapolei exit is being built to alleviate traffic congestion for Ewa and Kapolei.  The new North-South Road, joining the H-1 to Kapolei Parkway, will give residents an additional route to and from the freeway.This six lane, 2.5 mile long road will be built in two phases.  Phase I will consist of four lanes connecting Kapolei Parkway to the H-1, with completion targeted for the end of 2008.  Phase II will expand North-South Road to six lanes. To view the project map Click Here.

 Leeward Bikeway

Leeward Bikeway project, Phase I will install a shared use facility within the former Oahu Railway and Land Company 40-ft wide right-of-way. Procurement of a design consultant is currently underway.  Estimated right-of-way cost is $800,000 and the estimated construction cost is $4 million.  For more details, please see the project map Click Here.

Part of Honolulu rail transit study releasedOctober 31, 2008
Inflation has pushed the estimated cost of Honolulu's planned elevated commuter rail line up $200 million in the past two years, to $3.9 billion, according to a new city study. Advertisement The study also said the train would reduce traffic congestion by as much as 23 percent in 2030, compared with an alternative scenario that includes improvements to the freeway and bus systems. These and other facts were included in a 10-page executive summary of the city's draft environmental impact statement. Release of the summary — five days before voters decide on whether to proceed with the rail project — drew immediate criticism. Rail opponents said the city should make the entire document public, not just the summary. City officials said they are taking extraordinary steps to release the full document as soon as possible even though they are not obligated to do so. They plan to release the full document this weekend...............  The Honolulu Advertiser

City releases portion of rail reportOctober 31, 2008
Days before Oahu voters decide the fate of the city's proposed multibillion-dollar rail transit system, the city released yesterday a portion of a report detailing the project. The city estimated the cost in 2006 at $3.7 billion, but the report says the cost is $3.9 billion in 2008 dollars. That is expected to approach $5 billion after adjusting for inflation over the life of the project. City transportation officials said the draft environmental impact statement validates the need for its planned 20-mile elevated rail transit system from Kapolei to Ala Moana. But opponents of Mayor Mufi Hannemann's system, including his challenger for mayor, City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, criticized the city for releasing only a 10-page executive summary of the report. The city expects to release the 300-page document during the weekend. Two members of Hawaii's congressional delegation said the report is not related to a ballot question that asks voters to approve the rail system...............  The Star Bulletin

Construction Begins on Key Segment of Kapolei ParkwayAugust 4, 2008
Honolulu, HI - D.R. Horton - Schuler Division today announced that construction of an important segment of Kapolei Parkway - a critical roadway that will eventually connect ‘Ewa Beach and Kapolei - is underway. The road is the western spur of the parkway from Fort Barrette Road, and will extend about one-fifth of a mile to where it will tie into a longer portion that Kapolei Property Development, LLC plans to extend to Kamokila Boulevard. Delta Construction Corporation was awarded the contract for construction by D.R. Horton, and began work earlier this month. With this initiative alone, D.R. Horton will invest a total of approximately $10 million in area infrastructure improvements as a package that includes this portion of the Kapolei Parkway and other area infrastructure improvements. With these and other construction efforts within Kapolei Parkway currently underway by others, the major regional east-west highway will directly connect ‘Ewa Beach to Kapolei with six travel lanes by 2010..............  The Voice of Kapolei

Transit planning has many on boardJuly 27 2008
Oahu residents are giving the city's transit plans a positive reaction, according to a new poll. The survey, done by SMS Research for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and KITV, shows that 60 percent of Oahu residents are in favor of the city continuing to build the $4 billion rail system. The survey also shows there is more division among residents about the technology the city plans to use. According to the poll, 46 percent say the planned train with steel wheels on a steel track is the best way to go. But 36 percent say the city should look at something else. Still, rail transit's main proponent, Mayor Mufi Hannemann, said the results show that the public is behind his plan. "They want action," he said. The poll has a margin of error of 4.8 percentage points...............  The Star Bulletin

Soon, you'll need 3 to take Zipper LaneJune 24, 2008
In hopes of rewarding carpoolers with faster morning commutes, the state is increasing the number of people required in vehicles driving on the H-1 Freeway Zipper Lane and the Nimitz Highway contraflow lane from two to three — a move expected to decrease the number of cars in the lanes by about 300 daily. Advertisement The change will go into effect July 8, and comes as many Zipper Lane users are actually seeing longer morning drive times, by as much as 20 minutes, than those in the general lanes..............  The Honolulu Advertiser

Countdown to 6-month detourJune 17, 2008
State transportation officials say the diverting of H-1 Freeway traffic to a temporary one-mile bypass in either direction between Kunia and Makakilo won't be a major inconvenience for the tens of thousands of motorists who travel through West O'ahu daily. Advertisement Motorists aren't so sure. The six-month-long temporary bypass, which will affect Wai'anae- and Honolulu-bound traffic, is scheduled to begin this weekend and run through December. State Department of Transportation traffic counts showed a daily average of about 105,800 trips traveled in either direction during 2006. "We don't expect it to have a major impact on traffic," said Tammy Mori, DOT spokeswoman. "We expect traffic to move pretty smoothly once (drivers) get used to the change." While some West O'ahu residents have shrugged off the diverted lanes as a necessary evil, some neighbors are skeptical about the DOT's assurances.............  The Honolulu Advertiser

Single-lane closures on Fort Weaver to continueJune 2, 2008
Single-lane closures on Fort Weaver Road continue daily through Friday as the Department of Transportation's widening project continues. Advertisement # South-bound, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, the right lane between Laulaunui Street and Renton Road will be closed for paving work as well as the resetting of portable concrete barriers. # North-bound, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily, single lanes from 'A'awa Drive to beyond the Honouliuli Stream Bridge will be closed for trenching and drainage line installations. Additionally, traffic on Old Fort Weaver Road may be contraflowed in a single lane near the Fort Weaver Road intersection between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., daily for waterline installation work............  The Honolulu Advertiser

UH-West Oahu will get transit stationMay 8, 2008
The City Council yesterday approved the locations of 34 transit stations along the planned 26-mile commuter rail route stretching from West Kapolei to the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and Waikiki. Advertisement As part of the decision, the council agreed to put a train stop within a five-minute walk of the future UH-West O'ahu campus. Prior plans called for that station to be about a quarter-mile away in the new Ho'opili residential and commercial development. The council also approved stations along a route running through the Salt Lake neighborhood and an alternative route, which may be built in a later phase, that runs next to the Ho-nolulu International Airport. Mayor Mufi Hannemann hopes to begin construction on the $3.7 billion elevated commuter train late next year. The change in the location of the UH-West O'ahu station means users will only have to walk about 300 feet to get to campus. That's about 1,000 feet less than the prior plan. The change followed an agreement announced yesterday allowing the city to place a transit station and park-and-ride facility on state land...........  The Honolulu Advertiser

Rail transit gets $900M promiseMarch 28, 2008
A key congressman who oversees federal transit funding vowed yesterday to fight for $900 million to help build Honolulu's elevated mass transit system. Up next To get $900 million in for Oahu's mass transit, Hawaii's congressional delegation must request the federal money in the annual budget process this summer. If approved by Congress and after negotiations with the Federal Transit Administration, the city would receive the money by 2011 at the soonest. U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a news conference in Honolulu yesterday that the city's planned $3.7 billion mass transit system is "one of the most exciting projects in the whole country." He said he gives the project a higher priority than other cities' proposals looking for federal transit funding. "This would be the most efficient light-rail project in the country," said Oberstar, who went on a helicopter tour Monday of the proposed 20-mile route from Kapolei to Ala Moana. "It is essential to undertake this project." ..........  The Star Bulletin

Steel rail option chosen for Honolulu transit February 23, 2008
The railroad may be making a comeback on O'ahu. A panel of city-appointed experts yesterday decided that traditional steel wheels and rail technology is best suited for Honolulu's planned $3.7 billion elevated commuter line. The decision was based on factors such as reliability, safety, ride quality and cost, according to the four city-appointed panel members who voted in favor of steel rail technology for the 20-mile route between Kapolei and Ala Moana Center. Rubber tires on concrete technology came in a distant second, garnering only one of five votes. Both magnetic levitation and monorail technologies were ruled out because of cost and capacity concerns. Steel wheels on steel rails generate less friction than rubber on concrete and last longer, but they typically have lower acceleration and braking performance than rubber on concrete. Steel also is noisier than other rail technology. Panel member Ron Tober downplayed concerns raised about the noise and vibration of steel railway systems. "The new vehicles, the new technology is in fact very quiet and they can be made to be nearly vibration-free," Tober said. "Some of the other technologies I don't think are proven enough for Honolulu to take the risk." ..........  The Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii rail project may create 9,100 jobs February 17, 2008
Honolulu's $3.7 billion commuter rail project could generate an average of 9,100 jobs during the nine years it takes to build it. Those direct and indirect jobs could provide a boost to Honolulu's economy — and the construction sector in particular — between 2009 and 2017. The project's massive scale, Hawai'i's low jobless rate and the specialty skills required to build the rail transit system may result in an influx of workers from the Mainland. The increased demand for construction workers and materials could also temporarily drive up commercial and residential building costs. These are some of the findings in a preliminary economic analysis of the transit system by the project's main consultant, New York-based Parsons Brinckerhoff ..........  The Honolulu Advertiser

House gives final OK to Hawaii Superferry bill November 1, 2007
The state House yesterday gave final approval to a bill to help Hawaii Superferry resume service as several lawmakers asked Gov. Linda Lingle and Superferry executives to join them in trying to heal divisions over the project. The state House yesterday gave final approval to a bill to help Hawaii Superferry resume service as several lawmakers asked Gov. Linda Lingle and Superferry executives to join them in trying to heal divisions over the project. The House voted 39-11 in favor of allowing the ferry to resume service under operating conditions to protect whales and deter the spread of invasive species while the state conducts an environmental review. The state Senate passed the bill 20-5 on Monday. Lingle is expected to sign the bill into law. Superferry executives hope to hire back the 249 workers furloughed last month and restart ferry service by Nov. 15..........  The Honolulu Advertiser

Fort Weaver Road work to start later this month October 1, 2007
Ewa commuters are enduring yet another slowdown on Fort Weaver Road this week, but the big one is yet to come. The one-lane shutdown that backed up traffic heading toward the H-1 Freeway at midday yesterday is just a one-week tree- trimming job. The long-anticipated Fort Weaver widening project, last scheduled to start in August, won't start until later this month, state Transportation Department spokesman Scott Ishikawa said. Meanwhile, Ishikawa reported, there is good progress on the North-South Road that is expected to ease the traffic grind for 'Ewa and Kapolei motorists when it is completed in about two years. The tree-trimming is taking place through the end of the week from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will shut down the right lane from a point just above the Old Fort Weaver Road intersection until the Laulaunui Street intersection. Trees affected are along the West Loch Golf Course and the bike lane on Fort Weaver.........  The Honolulu Advertiser

State vows to let Superferry sail next week August 24, 2007
The state Department of Transportation today said it will not prevent the Hawaii Superferry from launching service next week. Department Director Barry Fukunaga said an environmental assessment will be conducted as ordered by the state Supreme Court, but the Superferry will be allowed to use Kahului Harbor on Maui. “We have no intention to denying them access at this point, because the court did not specifically specify that they could not commence operations,” he said. “Until that is identified, we certainly wouldn’t be doing any action against them.” Yesterday, the five-member Supreme Court unanimously ruled the Superferry should have been required to do an environmental assessment Fukunaga said the assessment will determine if a more comprehensive environmental impact statement is needed. “It’s purely speculation at this point to determine if an EIS is warranted,” he said. The Superferry is scheduled to begin daily interisland service from Oahu to Maui and Kauai on Tuesday......  The Star-Bulletin

Commuter ferry plan expands city options March 13, 2007
Luring O'ahu commuters from their cars won't be easy, and simply waiting for a mass transit system to be fully developed won't cut it. That's why the city's plans to launch a Kalaeloa-Aloha Tower ferry service should be seen as a smart investment that could help Honolulu become a city with a range of commuting options. We can think of it as the first step in a re-education campaign to change the public's entrenched transportation habits. In an island community that enjoys relatively placid weather year-round, there is every reason to think of the sea as another option for travel. Commuter ferries have been tried here before, and failed. The Hannemann administration has hit on one of the major impediments in past attempts: the lack of connecting buses at the dock....  The Honolulu Advertiser


20 miles of rail by 2017January 31, 2007
Honolulu could see the first trains of a massive fixed-guideway transit line running within five years, Mayor Mufi Hannemannsaid Tuesday, as he announced his choice for the first part of the system, a 20-mile routegenerally from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center. Hannemann recommended that the City Council approve a $3.6 billion"minimal operable segment" of the transit line that would start near the planned University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu campus and end at Ala Moana. He said the entire segment could be running by 2017....The Honolulu Advertiser
           

Mayor: Start transit work in Kapolei January 30, 2007
Mayor Mufi Hannemann is recommending that a 20-mile route from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center be the first part of the city's new transit line. The recommendation means that other places along a proposed route— including Kapolei center, the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and Waikiki — would have to wait until later to be finished. Hannemann Tuesday announced his choice for the line's "minimal operable segment," which he said would be completed by 2017. However, Hannemann said he hopes part of the first project will be operating by 2012....  The Honolulu Advertiser

West Oahu residents praise approval of transit systemDecember 24, 2006
Residents who suffer through long commutes from West Oahu to town praised Friday's historic City Council vote to approve a mass-transit system, which is expected to cost between $4.6 billion and $5.5 billion. The Council approved the system to run from Kapolei to the University of Hawaii-Manoa, with a possible spur to Waikiki. But the Council left it up to the city administration to decide whether to pass through the airport or the condo-heavy Salt Lake area. The mayor also must decide whether the route will go to the Ewa plain through the planned North-South Road or take a less-expensive route along Farrington Highway that bypasses Ewa. The Council also reserved the right to decide whether the system will use buses or trains. "I really hope it goes through the airport," said Macia Aldeguer, 51, a flight operator for Japan Airlines, who wakes up at 4 a.m. to head to work from Waianae.....  The Star-Bulletin

Meeting Summary - November 2006 November 21, 2006
The Ewa Transportation Coalition is an informal ad-hoc assembly of government agencies, project representatives and various elected officials who are responsible for ensuring the continued development and improvement of roadway infrastructure across the Ewa plain.....Ewa Transportation Coalition

City pursues plans for ferry from W. Oahu to downtown November 4, 2005
The City and County of Honolulu is moving ahead with plans for a ferry system aimed at easing the commute between West Oahu and downtown Honolulu. Toru Hamayasu, chief of the city and county's transportation planning division in the Department of Transportation Services, said he's in the process of preparing requests for proposals. He said he hopes to be ready to accept bids on the project before the end of the year. "We have $4 million in hand for the project," Hamayasu said. "We're developing the scope of the services." The project is part of Mayor Mufi Hannemann's efforts to help ease commuting headaches in fast-growing West Oahu. Already, nearly 25,000 jobs have sprung up in the rising population center, according to the West Oahu Economic Development Association......Pacific Business News

Why Hawai'i needs Superferry February 27, 2005
For the past two years, the Hawai'i Superferry has been on course to begin providing fast, affordable transportation between Hawai'i's four main islands by early 2007. Superferry will make it possible for families divided by our inter-island channels to do something most Hawai'i residents have never had the opportunity to do — visit each other for about half the price of flying, with one-way Superferry fares as low as $42 per adult and $55 for a private car. After public hearings on each island, the Public Utilities Commission granted the Superferry the authority to operate as a water carrier, including approval of these fares, in late 2004. Thousands of people have made it loud and clear that the Superferry is badly needed and will be enthusiastically received......The Honolulu Advertiser

Ewa's north-south road under wayFebruary 9, 2005
Gov. Linda Lingle was joined by state officials and legislators Wednesday at a ground breaking ceremony on the long-awaited north-south road between the Ewa and Kapolei communities. The road has been discussed for nearly two decades and is needed to help accommodate the increasing traffic resulting from new residential developments, government offices, businesses and schools. Phase I will create the first three lanes from Kapolei Parkway to the H-1 Freeway. The target date for completion is the end of 2008. Phase II will complete the road to its final six-lane configuration. The estimated cost for the project is $120 million, funded with 80 percent federal funds and 20 percent state funds......  Pacific Business News