HILO — A rainy fall pushed back the completion date of the county’s Kapiolani Street extension work, but the project remains on budget.
The $13.6 million project, which closes a half-mile gap between Lanikaula Street and Mohouli Street in Hilo, broke ground in March. The contract was awarded to Isemoto Contracting Ltd.
When completed, the road will provide another connection between the University of Hawaii at Hilo and downtown.
Work was initially set to take 14 months, but heavy rains in September caused delays. County public works information specialist Barett Otani said in an email that, weather and construction conditions permitting, estimated completion would be between July and September of 2016.
In addition to closing the Kapiolani gap, the project calls for new bike lanes, a turning lane, curbs, sidewalks and gutters. A concrete bridge is being built across Waiakea Stream, and a traffic light will be installed at Lanikaula and Mohouli.
“For the people that use Lanikaula and Kawili (Street), it’ll be better for them,” said Roy Hamakawa of the Hilo Higashi Hongwanji Mission, which is located across the street from the northern end of the construction site.
Construction eventually will replace the grass in front of the mission with a sidewalk, eliminating space used as extra parking, but those at the temple said that the project had not yet affected regular activities.
“It hasn’t really impacted our service schedule,” Stanley Takemura said. “During the design stages they invited us to public meetings to let us know what to expect.”
Otani said work is currently within budget with no changes. In July, the County Council approved an extra $500,000 to account for additional costs after unstable soil was found at the bridge site, but that money has not been used.
The soil has since been replaced with a rock mixture.
Otani said the the county and the contractor were coordinating efforts with property owners and keeping them updated on construction.
Chain-link fencing surrounds the temple. The yards of residential homes adjacent to the project site are separated from the road by plastic barriers.
“The protective barriers are part of the traffic control requirements for the safety of the public and workers,” he said.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
