Work on Lanikaula Street to begin in May

Kelsey Walling/Tribune-Herald A truck drives past on Lanikaula Street toward Manono Street last week in Hilo.
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Hilo drivers are advised to expect delays around Lanikaula Street for the next year when a rehabilitation project begins in May.

Hawaii County Department of Public Works spokeswoman Sherise Kanae-Kane said a $5 million project to improve about 1,800 feet of Lanikaula Street between Kilauea Avenue and Manono Street will begin in May and continue through February 2025, weather permitting.

The project, which will be carried out by contractor Jas. W. Glover Ltd., will include shoulder reconstruction, replacement of curbs and gutters, the addition of bike lanes on both sides of the road, pavement restriping and more.

Keone Thompson, DPW’s Engineering Division chief, said the project also will widen the road’s shoulders, adding a few feet on either side.

A Jas. W. Glover representative said the work will begin at the Lanikaula/Kilauea intersection and gradually progress toward Manono Street. He added that work will largely be conducted in segments, and that full road closures should be anticipated during the project.

Kanae-Kane also said that shoulder improvements on Kawili Street between Manono Street and Highway 11 should begin by the third quarter of this year.