After nearly five years, Kalanianaole Street is now open to both lanes of traffic.
Residents, visitors and business owners in Keaukaha were excited but surprised Friday morning to see both lanes open to two-way traffic.
The Kalanianaole Street improvement project was plagued with change orders, delays, contractor changes and cost overruns since its start in March 2018. One lane was closed through the entire project, and a detour was the only access to the Keaukaha community.
The Hawaii County Department of Public Works officially reopened the road Thursday evening as construction nears completion.
“It was kind of a big surprise to finally see it done,” said Lee Mori, manager of Creative Arts Hawaii. “We saw progress, the striping was exciting to see, and (Thursday) afternoon I saw they were starting to take the cones.
“This should help our customers, because they don’t have to go around the detour, and the road will be not be as hard on automobiles,” Mori added.
Laurie Tavares owns Millie’s Snack Shop on Kalanianaole Street and was thrilled to see two-way traffic in front of her business for the first time in years.
“I’m super happy about it, not just for our business, but for the people of Keaukaha. It has been so long,” Tavares said. “There were many people that didn’t come to Keaukaha because of the construction and road condition, so I think we’ll be seeing more people come around to take advantage of the road. It’s weird to see two-way traffic in front of the shop.”
Swimmer Steve Sugar didn’t notice the lane was open when he drove Friday morning to Richardson Ocean Park from Hilo.
“I didn’t even realize it was open, but that’s exciting and such a long time coming,” Sugar said. “Giving the community and beach goers more access will be a great thing.”
Sarah Kauhi, an employee at Hilo Grow Shop on Kalanianaole Street, noticed a little more business during her shift on Friday.
“This was one of the worst spots for business during construction, and it slowed down business a lot,” Kauhi said. “I’ve noticed that we have more customers than usual today, and maybe that’s because they can see our sign. It makes a big difference.”
Kauhi hopes the county keeps the detour near the old Hilo airport open to help alleviate traffic during rush hour.
Although Kalanianaole Street is fully open, there is still ongoing construction, so drivers are asked to drive cautiously to and from Keaukaha.
“We’re excited to be able to reopen both lanes of Kalanianaole Street after years of reconstruction,” Mayor Mitch Roth said in a statement. “Our administration promised the Keaukaha community we’d be done by the end of the year, and thanks to the leadership of our DPW crews and the contractor, we were able to deliver on that promise.
“This road is a vital resource for many on the east side, particularly the residents of Keaukaha, and we’re proud that we took the time to get it right so that it will be a lasting piece of critical infrastructure for years to come.”
Construction is ongoing on Banyan Drive at the intersection of Kalanianaole Street and Kanoelehua Avenue, as well as near the Keaukaha General Store and the Port of Hilo.
Since the traffic pattern is now back to normal after five years, the county asks everyone to use caution when traveling to Keaukaha.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.