Kaumana Drive will get a much needed touch-up next month as a 2.5-mile stretch is repaved.
Kaumana Drive will get a much needed touch-up next month as a 2.5-mile stretch is repaved.
The project will focus on improving the road from Mohouli Street and Akolea Road, said Alan Keone Thompson, Hawaii County Highways Division acting chief.
About $520,000 will be spent on materials. The labor will be done by county crews, he said. The project is funded by fuel tax revenue.
“This is something we’ve been trying to get done for a long time,” said Hilo Councilman Aaron Chung, whose district includes Kaumana.
Chung called the repaving project one of his top priorities. He gave credit to Mayor Billy Kenoi for helping get it approved.
“I get a lot of complaints about the conditions of the road,” Chung said.
While it will result in a smoother drive, residents will have to get through a few weeks of delays from construction.
Thompson said the paving work will take about four weeks to complete and is expected to start in late April or early May.
Preparation work along the shoulders could start this week, resulting in some early traffic impacts, he said.
Shoulders will be widened where possible, Thompson said.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.