Someone needs to answer for Queen K

With great dismay I learned in your Nov. 20 edition about the delay of at least one year from the originally projected completion date of 2017 for the Queen Kaahumanu Highway project.

Even more annoying is the lame excuse given by the Department of Transportation. What is next, cost overruns from the original budged $92 million? Someone is paying for all the equipment sitting idle and it’s the taxpayers.

For an outsider, it is hard to fathom what a simple road building project can take three years, no tunnels to dig, no bridges to build, no swamps to drain, just a straight forward bulldozing project.

Instead the citizens of Kona are subject weekdays to a long commute — the Kona Crawl. And now we are told we have to endure another year. Where is the accountability here and who is responsible? Are our elected public officials and their appointees ever taken to task and report back to the people of West Hawaii? On one of the signs at the beginning of the construction site there is a phone number given where the public can inquire about this project. Try to call (888) 440-7998 and you get an answering service and the person will tell you that he/she cannot answer any question but will refer the question to a proper party and they will call you back.

Tried this twice, no return call was ever received.

In the article, mention is made of “impacts to archaeological sites.” I fully understand the historical concerns of the people of Hawaii. Why is this not resolved prior to beginning of construction, especially in view that there was a gap from 2007 to 2015. From the end of Phase I to Phase II. Surely there have been previous incidents that these issues were resolved and could be used as precedents.

Who can a person turn to and hopefully, I am speaking for all West Hawaii residents who are stuck in the Kona Crawl, to find some answers and get accountability and find responsibility.

Alfred Kuehlewind is a resident of Kailua-Kona.