Kamehameha Avenue traffic pattern to change through September

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The traffic pattern on Kamehameha Avenue from Ponahawai Street to the Pauahi Street intersection will be one lane of travel in each direction starting Monday, Department of Public Works officials said. Vehicle traffic will shift to the mauka lanes. This traffic pattern is tentatively scheduled to remain through September 2014.

The traffic pattern on Kamehameha Avenue from Ponahawai Street to the Pauahi Street intersection will be one lane of travel in each direction starting Monday, Department of Public Works officials said. Vehicle traffic will shift to the mauka lanes. This traffic pattern is tentatively scheduled to remain through September 2014.

Travel through Pauahi Street will be maintained and left and right turns will be allowed at the Pauahi Street intersection.

Two public parking lots on the makai side of Kamehameha Avenue will remain open. Motorists may access both by using new, temporary entrances off of nearby Bayfront Highway. The Hele-On Bus park-and-ride lot located closer to downtown will be open to northbound and southbound traffic. However, only southbound motorists may enter the other lot.

The contractor will set up the traffic pattern and access to the parking lots at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Alternate routes to downtown Hilo are Kilauea Avenue, Kinoole Street, Manono Street and Waianuenue Avenue. Businesses are open as usual in the area.

The Kamehameha Avenue Bayfront bus stop and park-and-ride, including the South Kohala Hele-On bus was temporarily relocated to the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium during the scheduled Kamehameha Avenue reconstruction.

Motorists should expect traffic delays during construction and provide extra time to travel through the work zone. Public Works is reconstructing the four-lane roadway and sidewalks on Kamehameha Avenue while improving the drainage and upgrading the traffic signal at the Pauahi Street intersection. The project will also add curb ramps, left turn pockets, center left turn lanes, bike lanes, and LED streetlights.