Introduction
The State Department of Transportation in consultation with the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is studying the environmental impacts of building a highway bypass around Kawaihae Road. The following consultant are involved:
Within the State Department of Transportation, the project manager is Nelson Sagum, 808-587-1834, nelson.sagum@hawaii.gov (who is also the State DOT project manager for the Waimea Bypass project).
Millie Kim is the public meetings facilitator. For contact information, click here (scroll down).
The State Department of Transportation can be reached here. Your comments on this project can be submitted to Ronald Tsuzuki.
Public Meetings
Noda & Associates held their third public meeting on the project in Waimea on Tuesday, November 14, as part of the regularly monthly meeting of the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee. Here is a copy of the presentation and the meeting minutes:
Noda & Associates held a second public meeting on the project in Feburary, 2006 at Hapuna Prince Resort.
Noda & Associates held their first public meeting on the project in Waimea on Thursday, June 2, as part of the Waimea Community Association monthly meeting at the YMCA Town Hall. Brian presented the planning process for the Kawaihae Bypass to start the Federal and State Environmental Impact Study (EIS) process. An overview of the planning process and timetable was presented. Public input of issues and concerns will be included in the scoping for the EIS.
The Kawaihae Road Bypass is planned to start at the Waimea-Kohala Airport on Mamalahoa Highway and extend to the coastline exiting at the Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway or at Kawaihae Harbor. It will be 12 to 15 miles in length and be a limited-access highway designed for a 55 miles per hour speed limit. There is a possibility of two roads at the western end, one to Kawaihae and another to serve the Kona-bound traffic on Queen K. Funding will be from Federal Highways Administration and the State. The Kawaihae Bypass will cross the military tank road which goes from Kawaihae Harbor to Pohakuloa Training Area. Intersection issues have not been decided on yet, but this will not be a signalized intersection. The military needs to meet their own training schedules, so will not pay for any of the bypass. Interim roadways for constructability may include the extension to the north of Waikoloa’s Paniolo Drive. A route through Hawaiian home lands mauka of Kawaihae Harbor could be involved. Time line: Review community input on alternate routes by late 2005. Draft EIS will start in 2006 and finish planning by late 2007.
What Do Existing Plans Say?
The Kawaihae Road Bypass is called for by a number of local plans:
The 2005 County General Plan includes the following statement: "Studies are on-going for the construction of a new bypass highway around the town of Waimea (Waimea Bypass) and a new road from Waimea to Kawaihae (Kawaihae Road Realignment). Construction of these transportation segments will be needed to accommodate the anticipated expansions of resort areas along the coast, commuter traffic from Hamakua and Waimea and the transportation of goods to and from the Kawaihae Harbor." It also includes the following specific course of action: "Encourage the construction of a new Waimea to Kawaihae road from Mamalahoa Highway to the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway."
Current Issues
The following issues have been mentioned related to the Kawaihae Road Bypass project:
How can the impacts of the road on local residents be minimized?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative alignments under consideration?
If the road crosses Hawaiian home lands near Kawaihae, does the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands plan to create commercial developments (as it has done in Hilo) along the roadway to generate income to use to build the roads, bridges and water lines needed to supply residential lots to other homesteaders?
How can tourists be directed to dining and shopping opportunities in downtown Waimea and Kawaihae? How can they be directed to the Parker Ranch Historic Homes?
The Northwest Hawaii Regional Plan calls for a 300-foot wide buffer zone to be maintained on both sides of the bypass. Is that feasible?
Parker Ranch is donating 25 acres of land to the County for use as a regional park. The park site is between the Kawaihae Road Bypass alignment and the Lalamilo Farm lots and west of (behind) the land Parker Ranch donated to Parker School. How can access be provided to the regional park?
Both before and after the Waimea Bypass is constructed but before the Kawaihae Road Bypass is constructed, how can trucks be routed around downtown Waimea and encouraged to use the Lalamilo Connector Road instead?
How can noise from truck acceleration and deceleration at intersections near residences be mitigated?
The Hawaii Bike Plan calls for bike paths to be provided along the roadway. Is that feasible? How can these bike paths be connected to other planned bike paths in the area, such as the Waimea Trails and Greenways project.
What are the design options for the intersection of the Waimea Bypass and Mamalahoa Highway?
What are the design options for the intersection of the Kawaihae Road Bypass and Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway? Would the advantages of an overpass outweigh blocking views of the ocean?
What are the design options for the intersection of the Kawaihae Road Bypass and the proposed Mid-Level ("North-South") Road linking Paniolo Drive at Waikoloa Village to Kohala Ranch?
How can the needs of Superferry project be accommodated?
How can the needs of the military be accommodated?
Should the State and/or County be identifying and reserving corridors for a future light rail system as is occurring on Oahu and Maui? Should the corridor for a light rail system that would eventually serve Waimea follow the alignments of the Waimea Bypass and the Kawaihae Road Bypass?
Communications
The following communications have been received that identify issues to be considered in planning for the project:
If you are aware of other issues, please communicate them to us. We want everyone to be heard.
An Earlier Proposed Alignment of the Kawaihae Rd Bypass-
An Additional Segment Mauka of the Harbor Is Being Studied
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