Rail on track

Court-ordered rail studies on a tunnel under Beretania Street and effects on a historic Kakaako park won’t delay construction, says the city’s rail chief, but foes remain ready to fight

By Lee Catterall

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 27, 2013

~~<p>After decades of controversy, reams of studies and millions of taxpayer dollars — with billions more ahead to be spent — Honolulu's rail system faces its last three known hurdles, thrown up by a federal judge last month. The obstacles: the vetting of a rail tunnel under Beretania Street, the project's impact on humble Mother Waldron Park in Kakaako, and a cultural review of rail's effect on Chinatown.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, trenching continues in earnest along the rail's downtown route for Native Hawaiian remains, or iwi, a condition of an earlier, separate ruling by the Hawaii Supreme Court.</p>
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After decades of controversy, reams of studies and millions of taxpayer dollars — with billions more ahead to be spent — Honolulu's rail system faces its last three known hurdles, thrown up by a federal judge last month. The obstacles: the vetting of a rail tunnel under Beretania Street, the project's impact on humble Mother Waldron Park in Kakaako, and a cultural review of rail's effect on Chinatown.

Meanwhile, trenching continues in earnest along the rail's downtown route for Native Hawaiian remains, or iwi, a condition of an earlier, separate ruling by the Hawaii Supreme Court. Login for more...