A long awaited widening and realignment project on Daniel K. Inouye Highway, also known as Saddle Road, is complete.
A long awaited widening and realignment project on Daniel K. Inouye Highway, also known as Saddle Road, is complete.
State and government officials are hosting a dedication ceremony today to celebrate the opening of the final phase of reconstruction on the east side of the highway.
Gov. David Ige, Mayor Harry Kim, Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono and officials from the Federal Highway Administration are among those scheduled to attend.
The project connects the existing highway near mile marker 11 to the west end of the Puainako Street extension.
It was previously scheduled to be finished in August. That completion was pushed back because of “various challenges,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara on Monday, which included containment and treatment of cleared ohia trees to prevent the spread of rapid ohia death and additional drainage work.
The extension is the first new leg of the highway since a new connection was made with Mamalahoa Highway on the west side in September 2013.
“This is reconstructing part of the original Saddle Road, but it’s also creating three additional new miles of the highway,” Sakahara said. “So this is essentially the final phase of the entire Daniel K. Inouye Highway/Saddle Road rehabilitation.”
Sakahara said the new portion of highway will be open starting this afternoon.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.