A long-stalled project to replace the 90-year-old Waiaka Bridge on Highway 19 in Waimea is moving again.
The state Department of Transportation has renewed efforts to install a new, larger bridge to span Keanuiomano Stream, realign how the highway, also known as Kawaihae Road, approaches the bridge and reconfigure the road’s intersection with Kohala Mountain Road (Highway 250) to a roundabout.
The work, anticipated to cost about $10 million and take over a year to complete, could get underway as early as summer 2023. Easements on private land will have to be secured to accommodate the project, which will shift the intersection east.
During construction, a temporary bypass road and bridge would be constructed to allow the heavily traveled Kawaihae Road to continue to operate.
A draft environmental assessment, which anticipates a finding of no significant impact for the project, was published March 23 kicking off a 30-day public comment period. Input is due by April 22 to the proposing/consulting agency as well as the consultant.
A public meeting will be held during the comment period; however, officials said Wednesday that a specific date had not been set thought it will be held around April 13.
Constructed in 1932, Waiaka Bridge is a 26-foot wide and 38-foot long concrete bridge with a bolted 3-foot wooden walkway.
The National Bridge Inventory Standards, which inspects and rates bridges on a scale of 100 to a low score of 0, gave Waiaka Bridge a sufficiency rating of 26 and identified the bridge as “functionally obsolete.” Bridges deemed “functionally obsolete” typically do not have adequate lane widths, shoulder widths or vertical clearances to serve traffic demand.
For Waiaka Bridge, this deficiency results in traffic congestion and delays, the draft EA states. During a 15-minute peak of morning traffic in January 2021, some 1,188 vehicles passed through the Kohala Mountain and Kawaihae roads intersection. In the afternoon, 1,448 vehicles traversed the intersection in a 15-minute span.
“As a major transportation link to Kawaihae Harbor, East Hawaii, and West Hawaii, congestion and delays along Kawaihae Road have an important impact on the movement of goods and services, as well the general quality of life. Bringing Waiaka Bridge design to current state and federal design guidelines for lane widths, shoulders, pedestrian access, and railing heights is needed for efficient operations,” the draft EA reads.
The existing Waiaka Bridge would be replaced with a 53-foot wide by up to 80-foot long bridge to accommodate two lanes of vehicle travel, a shoulder/bike lane and a raised sidewalk. In addition, the roadway approaches would be realigned to improve line-of-sight for motorists and create a smooth transition to the bridge.
The project also includes reconfiguring the intersection of Kawaihae and Kohala Mountain roads to a roundabout. The draft EA said a roundabout would “outperform a T-intersection” and remove the need for a traffic signal.
A new, larger bridge will also improve hydraulic conditions for Keanuiomano Stream, which has been known to over-top the bridge during large storm events. Once complete, the draft EA states the bridge would be able to accommodate a 100-year rain event, and even reduce the potential flood risk to adjacent properties.
The price tag for the project would be shared between the state and federal governments. Replacing Waiaka Bridge is considered a “system preservation project” on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program list for fiscal years 2022-25 making it qualified for federal funding.
The state budget bill for fiscal biennium July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023, currently making its ways through the Senate, would allocate $1.6 million in state funds and $6.4 million in federal funds by mid-2023.
While the use of Federal Highway Administration funding typically triggers compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act review process, a “Categorical Exclusion” is anticipated. The project, however, will still have to comply with other federal laws, including Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and Section 106 of the National Historical Preservation Act.
The recently released environmental document comes over a decade after the state first released a draft EA to replace the aging bridge. The document was pulled in 2016 as a result of “new circumstances and information that might require additional studies.”
In July 2019, the state said it was in the final stages of contracting a consultant to conduct the new environmental assessment released this month for the project. At that time, officials hoped the environmental studies and design work would have been completed by the end of 2021.
Comments on the draft EA released March 23 should be sent to the State of Hawaii, Department of Transportation, Andrew Hirano, 601 Kamokila Blvd. #688, Kapolei, HI 96707 or email to andrew.j.hirano@hawaii.gov and Consultant WSP USA Inc., Darin Chinen, 1001 Bishop St., Suite 2400, ASP Tower, Honolulu, HI 96813 or email to Darin.chinen@wsp.com.
The 405-page draft EA can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3Nzzier.