We need another road built now
This letter is long overdue. I have been a resident of Kona for over 40 years and have seen many changes in Kona — some good, some not good. The one thing I think we can agree on is the traffic is the worst we have ever seen. Why? Because we did not build the Alii Highway. Back on Sept. 21, 2007, the Burial Council approved the plan to address the burial sites.
Why does the mayor and the Planning Department consider improvements to Saddle Road, but give no consideration to the Kona residents spending hours in their cars, trying to get from Keauhou to Kailua Village. Do your job! Apply to federal government for the funds again — we lost $82 million last time around. Do your job! We deserve better.
Think about the beautiful bypass road coming from South Kona, you end up at the “no function junction” Kamehameha Road and Alii Drive. Do you travel along the ocean at 25 mph or try the highway into town?
Did you that the land has been bought and paid for? The 7-mile road would run from Keauhou, starting from behind Na Hale O Keauhou condominiums going north to below Jackie Reyes restaurant. The Alii Highway (also known as the Keauhou-Kahaluu Parkway) would run parallel to Kuakini Highway. Note: Years ago the sign at Kaluna Street and Alii Drive said Alii Highway. Where is it?
If you want to see a portion of the access corridor drive down Alii Drive and turn mauka on Laaloa Avenue. As you drive up Laaloa toward the light, you will the width of this highway corridor just below Alii Heights.
How many times have you been stopped in traffic on Kuakini Highway — the “Kona Crawl” — so you decide to take Alii Drive, and it is no better. We need another road built now!
What next? What will it take to get the county to help Kona? Maybe another head-on collision killing another Kona resident? Call the mayor now.
Charlene Davis
Kailua-Kona
Lead us out of this
Too bad our county government has let history repeat itself. A few residents should remember a time when the services and infrastructure kept pace with our population. All these extra vehicles and subdivisions didn’t just happen over night. It took a complete lack of planning to get us to where restrictions are being placed on refuse disposal. The solution would be to enforce concurrency — restrict any further growth until our infrastructure can catch up,
A year of water restrictions recently should have made the county wake up. Not enough water? Now now enough space to dump our trash? Then let’s take a look at our traffic congestion. Is anyone planning for growth? A Band-Aid isn’t going to fix what ails Kona, but some fresh leadership sure would be helpful. C’mon leaders — lead us out of this.
Steve Snyder
Kalaoa