State Department of Transportation Highways Division officials have told state Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kaua’i-Ni’ihau, that the route recommendation for a permanent Kapa’a bypass road will be made this year. From a dizzying array of proposed routes, including four over the
State Department of Transportation Highways Division officials have told state Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kaua’i-Ni’ihau, that the route recommendation for a permanent Kapa’a bypass road will be made this year.
From a dizzying array of proposed routes, including four over the Wailua River and 10 through and around wetlands mauka of the Coconut Marketplace in Wailua, a decision is expected to be made on one route designed to alleviate traffic congestion through the Wailua-Kapa’a corridor that is by far the island’s worst, Hooser said.
DOT officials have also told Hooser that ground will be broken sometime this year for a project to extend the existing Kapa’a bypass road from its current terminus at Olohena Road at Kapa’a New Park to a new intersection to be created near the intersection of Kawaihau Road and Kuhio Highway at the north end of Kapa’a.
The money is in place for that project, he said. Federal and state funds are in place for at least a portion of the permanent Kapa’a bypass road, according to the state DOT Web site information on the Kapa’a Relief Route, www.state.hi.us/dot/highways/hwy-p/kapaa_relief/.
The project has moved up to the top of the priority lists for county, state and federal highways projects for the island, according to the Web site.
“That would be good news if we could move those projects forward,” said Hooser, who speaks with or meets with DOT Highways Division officials on a regular basis.
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