There’s no easy fix to solving the problem of heavy traffic congestion in Pahoa.
Traffic delays increased dramatically over the past week after the Dec. 2 opening of a detour that routes cars past the construction site of a future roundabout. The roundabout is being built at the intersection of Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road.
The detour sends cars through a temporary traffic light at the intersection of Kahakai Boulevard and Pahoa Village Road. During peak traffic times, such as school drop-off and commuter rush hour, cars have been seen backed up nearly three miles.
The congestion has prompted some to call for the opening of Railroad Avenue, an unpaved emergency route through Hawaiian Beaches and Hawaiian Paradise Park that was rushed into completion during encroachment of the June 27 lava flow last year.
Mayor Billy Kenoi said in a statement provided to the Tribune-Herald that county departments were “actively working to see how we can help the state alleviate and mitigate the traffic congestion.”
Any decisions regarding the possibility of opening Railroad Avenue will be made in consultation with the state, said Ilihia Gionson, one of Kenoi’s executive assistants.
“It was built as an emergency access with FEMA funding, so there are federal agencies involved as well,” Gionson wrote in an email to the Tribune-Herald.
Because Railroad Avenue also crosses private property as it cuts through Hawaiian Paradise Park, land owners also must be consulted, Gionson said.
The state Department of Transportation could not be reached for comment by press time.
State Sen. Lorraine Inouye (D- Hilo), who chairs the Senate committee on transportation and energy, said Friday she had heard from her own husband about the traffic delays. Trucks for his business have started to leave earlier in order to beat the heavy traffic, she said.
“For any type of highway improvements, we’re going to have some adjustments, and people will be disappointed,” Inouye said. She said she would check into whether it was possible to complete the roundabout the project earlier than projected.
As originally planned, the detour is set to be in effect until May.
Earlier this week, the offices of Puna County Council members Greggor Ilagan and Danny Paleka said they had received feedback about the traffic since the detour first opened. Both have relayed the comments to the mayor’s office and are focusing on keeping residents informed about the construction timeline.
“Hopefully, we just help (them) to understand the process,” said Nadia Malloe, legislative assistant for Paleka.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
