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Question: Recently the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and other news outlets reported that resurfacing of Kamehameha Highway was underway. My question concerns how the resurfacing will be completed. When the HART contractor resurfaced Farrington Highway they did a great job except at all the cross-street intersections, which were not resurfaced. Now when one drives along Farrington Highway the ride is smooth until reaching any intersection. The intersections are a mess, with existing and poorly filled potholes and the pavement otherwise broken up. Will the cross-street intersections along Farrington Highway and Kamehameha Highway be repaved anytime soon or will they be allowed to continue to deteriorate?
Answer: “On Kamehameha Highway, the current resurfacing contractor will do intersections as part of its scope of work, while the contractor building the rail stations along Kamehameha Highway will repave those areas when its work is completed next year,” said Bill Brennan, a spokesman for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
As for Farrington Highway, Brennan said, “HART is working to schedule intersection repaving soon, by the end of the year or early next, in those areas of Farrington Highway near Leoku Street and Leokane Street. The remainder of intersections bordering current station sites along Farrington Highway will be repaved following construction of those stations; those would be near Waipahu Depot Street and Mokuola Street.”
Phase 1 of the Kamehameha Highway resurfacing work began early this month. Most work is expected to wrap up by Thanksgiving, with crews working mainly at night. Phase 2 is to begin in January, and conclude in late 2019.
You can get more details about the Kamehameha Highway resurfacing project, and about construction of rail stations near Pearl Highlands, Pearlridge and Aloha Stadium, at a public meeting scheduled for Oct. 30 at Pearl Ridge Elementary School, 98-940 Moanalua Road.
Rail contractors and HART staffers are to speak at the meeting, which will be held in the school cafeteria. Registration and open house will be from 6:30 to 7 p.m., followed immediately by the meeting, which is set to last until 8 p.m.
Q: I see these commercials on TV about Medicare Open Enrollment but it always has an alphabet soup. I need some questions answered but I am a little hard of hearing and would prefer to speak to someone in person, or at least talk to someone here in Hawaii. I seem to recall you mentioning something about this before. Could you repeat that information?
A: In the past we’ve mentioned the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which provides information for Medicare beneficiaries, their families, caregivers and soon-to-be retirees. You can call with questions about Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D, Medigap, the Medicare Savings Program and other benefits. On Oahu, call 586-7299. On the neighbor islands call 1-888-875-9229 (toll free). You said you have some hearing loss; the TTY number is 1-866-810-4379, if you have a TTY device.
Mahalo
Mahalo to Foodland on South Beretania Street. It was unfortunate that I had car trouble, but fortunate that it happened in Foodland’s parking lot. It was about noon on Oct. 4, a humid and hot day. After marketing, I could not get my car to start so I had to have it towed. A special thank you to the Foodland personnel who kept my three bags filled with ice cream, eggs, etc., chilled until I returned later that day after my car was in running condition. I would also again like to thank the woman who parked next to my car, for her offer of help. — Grateful shopper
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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