GOVERNOR LINGLE RELEASES $800,000 FOR KALANIANA`OLE HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS

For Immediate Release:  March 10, 2009

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released $800,000 in construction funds for improvements that will facilitate the flow of traffic at the Keahole Street intersection on Kalaniana‘ole Highway.

This project is part of the $1.8 billion public infrastructure construction plan unveiled by Governor Lingle in December to stimulate the economy and create jobs. Progress of the more than 1,500 projects included in the plan can be tracked on the Governor’s website at www.hawaii.gov/cip.

“The state Department of Transportation continues to implement improvements to our highways that will save drivers time and money,” said Governor Lingle. “This project will relieve congestion and increase safety at a very busy intersection along Kalaniana‘ole Highway.”

Currently, traffic turning right from Keahole Street onto Kalaniana‘ole Highway must stop and merge with the westbound traffic on the highway, which causes traffic to back up on Keahole Street.

This project will construct an additional lane on Kalaniana‘ole Highway in the westbound direction from Keahole Street to Hawai‘i Kai Drive, providing an exclusive right-turn lane for Keahole Street traffic onto Kalaniana‘ole Highway and easing traffic at this intersection.

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $4,070,536, which includes more than $2.3 million in federal funds and $941,253 from utilities for the relocation of utility cables and service boxes caused by the highway widening.

Bid opening is scheduled for next month, with construction scheduled to begin in September 2009 and be completed in July 2010.

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For more information, contact:

Brennon Morioka
Director, Dept. of Transportation
Phone: (808) 587-2150

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043