The rehabilitation of Kalanianaole Street in Hilo came with a greatly expanded price tag following nearly five years of delays and construction.
The project, which widened about a mile of roadway from Kanoelehua Avenue to Kuhio Street and allowed for an additional sidewalk, a paved shoulder, bicycle lanes and a turn lane, began in March 2018 with a budget of about $17 million split between the state and the county and was expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
The road finally reopened to two lanes of traffic in mid-December, and the final cost ballooned to just over $24.86 million.
“We are expecting some negative change orders, so the final cost will probably be lower than that,” said Hawaii County Finance Director Deanna Sako, who explained that contractors often overestimate the amount needed to complete a project, so the actual cost might be less than what was initially contracted, although she wasn’t sure how much less.
The cost of the roadwork largely was split between a pair of contractors that did the majority of work on the project, Sako said.
The first contractor, Goodfellow Bros., was paid $11.6 million for its work from the beginning of the project until its contract was terminated in December 2021.
Another $11.7 million was paid to Nan Inc., the contractor which took over the project in March of this year.
Sako said the remainder of the funds were paid to a pair of other contractors, Jas. W. Glover Ltd. and Bowers + Kubota Consulting, both of which Sako said contributed minor work to the project.
Glover was awarded a $930,000 contract to maintain the construction site during the interim period between Goodfellows’ and Nan’s involvement. Bowers + Kubota contributed some project management support, Sako said.
Most of the funding for the roadwork came from the county, with only about $7 million contributed by the state.
The change in contractors occurred after Goodfellow announced that paving materials for the road would have to be changed in order to protect underground fuel lines, which also increased the project’s budget.
Some county officials and Keaukaha residents expressed frustration throughout the project by a perceived lack of consistent work on the road, even though it was limited for years to a single lane.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
