A yearlong project to replace a small bridge in Hilo will begin Monday.
The Pauahi Street Bridge across the Waiolama Canal in the Wailoa State Recreation Area will be fully replaced over the next year under a $3.5 million Hawaii County Department of Public Works project.
According to bid documents regarding the project, contractor Jas. W. Glover Ltd. will, over about 350 days, construct an entirely new bridge, demolishing the existing bridge deck, railings, pavement, sidewalk and waterline.
A statement from the Department of Public Works on Thursday advised residents that construction is expected to begin Monday at 7 a.m., continuing each weekday until 3:30 p.m.
While no construction will take place from March 31 to April 7 — which is Merrie Monarch Festival week — subsequent weeks will see continued work, although temporary lane changes will be implemented beginning April 8 to ensure through traffic.
During the construction period, parking will not be permitted on either side of Pauahi Street between its intersections with Aupuni Street and Kamehameha Avenue.
A tentative completion date for the new bridge is slated for July 2025, weather permitting.
The Pauahi Street Bridge is one of more than a dozen Big Island bridges considered in “poor” condition by the state Department of Transportation.
According to 2022 DOT data, the more-than-70-year-old bridge carries an estimated 9,150 vehicles daily.