An array of traffic safety improvements are planned for the Waikoloa Road-Paniolo Avenue-Pua Melia Street intersection while the county works toward implementing a roundabout at the major crossroads in Waikoloa Village.
The county Department of Public Works Engineering Division is looking to add calming devices such as flashing stop signs, flashing intersection warning signs with a , speed tables, road markings and zig-zag striping to the busy South Kohala intersection. Also in the plans is a 24-inch stop bar and stop pavement legend.
Speed tables differ from speed humps in that they are flat-topped, often 3 to 3.5 inches in height and longer, raising the entire wheel base of the vehicle to reduce speed. Under the proposed draft, speed tables are planned only on Waikoloa Road with one in the westbound lane near the town’s entry sign and the other in the eastbound lane, just past the median U-turn crossover.
“The safety of the community is first and foremost in designing safety precautions. The community’s input is critical to this endeavor,” Mayor Mitch Roth said through a media release.
The county is accepting input through an online survey, which can be accessed via https://bit.ly/3weQC1x.
It’s unclear how long the survey will be available for community members to complete or how the information provided will be used in the final plan as neither Roth’s spokesperson nor the Department of Public Works responded for comment over a multi-day period.
The safety improvements are being implemented as the county moves forward on implementing a roundabout at the dangerous intersection. In May, the county said it had contracted with Belt-Collins Hawaii LLC for design of the two-lane roundabout for the intersection.
The estimated cost for the project is $5.8 million with funding to be sourced from county general obligation bonds and capital improvement project monies.
The current schedule calls for the completion of the work by early 2025.
According to the county, the change from a four-way stop will enhance traffic flow and reduce delays currently experienced by drivers during peak morning and afternoon drive times. It will also provide for safe pedestrian passage with raised crosswalks, splitter islands at crosswalks, rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, and pedestrian crossing warning signs.
Additional community input will be sought during the design and permitting process.