A long-awaited plan to develop an alternate traffic route out of Puna might start taking shape next year.
In 2022, the state Legislature approved a $1 million allocation to Hawaii County to conduct site surveys to determine a suitable location for a Puna Makai Alternate Route, a second major road in and out of Puna that would divert some of the district’s heavy traffic away from Highway 130, currently the only main road connecting the area to Hilo.
The need for the PMAR has been a recurring theme in Puna politics for years. The 2008 Puna Community Development Plan emphasized the need for alternate routes in case of an emergency, something which was again highlighted during the 2018 Kilauea eruption.
Traffic studies have indicated that traffic on Highway 130 averages about 22,000 vehicles per day in each direction, and residents complain of constant snarls that leave drivers waiting in gridlock for hours. With the population of the district expected to continue growing, that gridlock is sure to increase without any additional roads.
But the necessary coordination between the state, county and various landowners whose properties any alternate route would impact has stymied progress on the project. A possible route often considered in discussions of PMAR would redevelop Railroad Avenue between Panaewa and Keaau, but such a route would cross land owned by private landowner W. H. Shipman Ltd., which has for years opposed the concept.
County Public Works Director Steve Pause briefly mentioned during a September town hall event in Puna that new developments in the PMAR project could be coming in the near future, and confirmed to the Tribune-Herald on Friday that the state is now in the final stages of transferring the money for the site surveys to the county.
“From what I understand, the last piece of paper is with the governor now,” Pause said.
Puna Rep. Greggor Ilagan said the funds will be available soon, but wryly added that, on political timescales, “soon” tends to mean “months.”
“It’s been a very long process, but we’re finally at the tail end of it,” said Ilagan, who has been a strong advocate for the PMAR project for years.
Between the $1 million from the state and a 50% match from the county, DPW will have $1.5 million to work with to determine which sites for an alternate route are the most feasible.
“I would best call it an engineering study,” Pause said, explaining that it will investigate the various engineering challenges posed by several previously identified sites for an alternate route.
He added that the study also might touch on potential environmental impacts, though not to the extent that a full environmental assessment would.
However, although Pause said a contractor to carry out the PMAR study should be selected by early 2024, the document might not lead to any new roads for a while.
“I think it’ll take two to four years to get through all of this,” Pause said, explaining that at the end of that period, a final route selection should be determined, but actual construction would still be years away.
“There’s going to be a lot of public engagement to be done during this time,” he said.
Pause added he is optimistic the county can work to speed the process along as much as possible.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.