“Da Shadow” Jerome Freitas shakes his head in disbelief whenever he drives northbound on Kuhio Highway by the St. Catherine Church cemetery in Kealia. He recalls a woman driver plummeted to her death down a 30-foot embankment more than 30
“Da Shadow” Jerome Freitas shakes his head in disbelief whenever he drives northbound on Kuhio Highway by the St. Catherine Church cemetery in Kealia.
He recalls a woman driver plummeted to her death down a 30-foot embankment more than 30 years ago because a guardrail had not been placed on the makai side of the highway.
He recalls either the state or Kaua‘i County responded and put one up. But it was recently taken down as part of the development of a 4.3-mile county bicycle and pedestrian pathway from Kapa‘a to Kealia, he said.
Since May, Freitas has pestered the state Department of Transportation and the Kaua’i County Public Works to install a new guardrail of more than 100 feet to prevent a reoccurrence of the traffic accident.
“I think he is 100 percent right. If (government) put it up, leave it there.” said Glenn Mickens, a Wailua resident who prides himself as a government watchdog. He scrutinizes the actions of government by grilling officials at weekly meetings of the Kaua‘i County Council.
“There is no doubt that thing should be put back as quickly as possible,” he said.
Freitas, also a government watchdog, said he knows people will think his latest complaint might be construed as yet another instance of grandstanding.
But he said he is calling attention to the matter “for the safety of residents and visitors. That is all.”
Since retiring from the maintenance division with the state Department of Transportation four years ago, Freitas has driven hundreds of miles around the island, looking for government structures and machinery in disrepair.
He has spent his money for gas and for photographs he shows officials in the hopes he can convince them to release funds for the repairs.
Freitas says the replacement of the guardrail is paramount.
Without the guardrail, any person driving at night or during heavy rains on a curvy section by where the guardrail should be could lose control, drive off the road and become injured or die.
“There is no (street) light around here to warn (motorists),” Freitas said.
Freitas said nobody could give him a straight answer on why the original guardrail was taken away, except possibly that the work was done in connection with the county’s recreational pathway project.
He approached Steve Kyono, who heads the DOT’s Highways Division branch on Kaua‘i, about installing a new guardrail.
“He said because the county was building the bicycle path, the county would oversee the installation of the guardrail,” Freitas said.
Kyono was off island yesterday and was not immediately available for comment.
Freitas said he also talked with Doug Haigh, who heads the building division of the public works department, which is overseeing the recreational pathway project.
“He told me the guardrail was to be shipped from Arizona, that it was coming,” Freitas said. “I asked Doug when the guardrail was supposed to come, and he told me there is no definite time.”
Freitas then contacted councilman Jay Furfaro, who heads the council’s Finance and Economic Development Committee, about correcting the problem.
“He said he wanted to help, and said he drove by,” Freitas said.
Freitas said he isn’t the only one who wants the problem corrected.
“Twenty guys called me about this and told me to do something,” Freitas said. “I told them government is supposed to take care of it. I am not against government. I do what I do for the safety of the public.”
Mickens said Freitas has made headway in getting DOT to put in sidewalks around the roundabout in Kapa‘a and the county to repair bridges and roads because of his persistence.
“The public works hates the poor guy because he embarrasses government for not taking care of things that should be taken care of,” Mickens said.
County Engineer Donald Fujimoto and his staff say they welcome comments from Freitas and have responded to his concerns.
At the same time, officials say the department works on a priority list of projects, including those recommended by Freitas.
• Lester Chang, staff writer, can be reached at 245-368 1 (ext. 225) or lchang@kauaipubco.com.
