CAPTAIN COOK — A guide sign that was misdirecting South Kona drivers through a new intersection came down in recent days and new, correct signs are expected to go up in its place.
CAPTAIN COOK — A guide sign that was misdirecting South Kona drivers through a new intersection came down in recent days and new, correct signs are expected to go up in its place.
A Hawaii County Department of Public Works spokesman said Tuesday new signs have been ordered that accurately guide drivers in the area, but it’s unknown when they’ll arrive for installation.
The confusion involves a new Captain Cook intersection that connects Mamalahoa Highway, also referred to as Highway 11, Napoopoo Road and the Mamalahoa Highway Bypass.
Last week, there was only one guide sign around the entire intersection, which opened earlier this month with the opening of the bypass road, which connects Highway 11 and Alii Drive in Keauhou.
The sign instructed motorists to continue straight ahead to get to Volcano.
Drivers who drive straight through the intersection, however, will be sent down Napoopoo Road toward Kealakekua Bay. They need to turn left to stay on Highway 11 toward Volcano.
The sign was leftover from before the intersection was built. Back then, Highway 11 curved to the left and Napoopoo Road rose to meet it at the outside of the bend.
Nonetheless, the inaccurate sign has been causing some confusion for visitors trying to make their way around South Kona. Some tourists told West Hawaii Today in a story on Saturday highlighting the signage that they made a wrong turn at the intersection trying to get to the Kaawaloa trailhead, which is located off Napoopoo Road.
Visitors also expressed frustration at the lack of any other guide signs around the intersection to direct them toward places of interest.
When a West Hawaii Today reporter went to the intersection on Tuesday, the sign had been taken down. No new signs, however, were put in its place. There were also no signs along the bypass.
The Department of Public Works spokesman said leaving the sign up was “an oversight” and new signs have already been ordered, saying new signs were a part of the overall project.
“We’re just awaiting confirmation from the contractor,” said Barett Otani, information and education specialist for the department.
Otani said the signs had been ordered during the intersection’s development and the county had hoped they would arrive before its opening.
“I guess the timing was a little off there,” he said.
Otani provided an overhead map of all the signs planned for installation at the intersection.
The plan calls for directional guide signs on every side of the intersection.
The sign planned to replace the older sign on the southbound approach along Highway 11 will guide motorists toward Keauhou, Captain Cook and Napoopoo, with each destination accompanied by an arrow pointing in the correct direction.
The plan also includes lane advisory signs for drivers approaching the intersection from each side.