State officials will host an informational meeting Thursday night to update Puna residents about the state Department of Transportation’s roundabout project.
The meeting is slated for 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Pahoa Neighborhood Center on Kauhale Street.
DOT officials from Honolulu as well as Hawaii Island are expected to attend, along with state Sen. Lorraine Inouye and County Council members Greggor Ilagan and Daniel Paleka. Representatives from Isemoto Contracting also will attend, said DOT spokesman Timothy Sakahara.
The meeting will feature information about the remaining work to be done on the roundabout, as well as its anticipated opening date.
A portion of the roundabout area is scheduled to be opened for limited use in mid-April. But the full roundabout is not expected to be open until early summer.
“Most people are going to think that it’s a full opening (this month), and that’s going to confuse people,” Ilagan said Tuesday. “There were a lot of questions being brought up to my office, so I decided to really push for the public meeting.”
Presentations regarding the anticipated partial opening, as well as how to drive in a roundabout, will be given.
The Pahoa roundabout is located at the intersection of Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road. The project is state funded and has a $4.8 million budget.
Work began in early December last year, when a detour route went into effect.
The detour rerouted drivers through a temporary traffic signal at the intersection of Kahaki Boulevard and Pahoa Village Road, and has led to considerable traffic delays for drivers at peak times, such as when school is dismissed and during commuter rush hour.
“I don’t think anyone wants to get used to it,” Ilagan said. “I believe the residents of Puna want to get used to their normal lives once the roundabout opens.”
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
