Question: Twice in the last few months, the H-3 tunnel has been closed during morning and evening rush hours for drain cleaning, with one lane closed all day in one direction and then the other. It appears that it will now be a recurring drama for those of us who commute daily on the H-3. Why can’t this work be done from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. when traffic impact would be minimal since there is no population center nearby?
Answer: The cleaning of storm drains did not entail closing lanes on the H-3 all day or during rush hours, said state Department of Transportation spokesman Dan Meisenzahl.
He said drainage cleaning was done Dec. 5 to 9 and 12 to 16 and Jan. 30 to Feb. 3 — after the morning peak traffic hours of 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and before the afternoon rush hours of 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
That means the first cone closing a lane “goes down at 8:30 a.m., and the last cone is picked up by 2:30 p.m.,” he said.
One lane was closed in a single direction, he said, allowing crews to do routine removal of debris and mud to prevent potential flooding during heavy rain in the mile-long tunnels.
“Traffic flow through the tunnels was closely monitored by the H-3 Traffic Operations Center, and although merging traffic did slow down on the inclines approaching the tunnels, no severe impacts were noted,” Meisenzahl said.
Night work is an option, but higher costs usually preclude doing it.
“Nighttime closures generally require more equipment, such as portable lighting, electrical generators, fuel and safety equipment, along with costs for additional personnel and overtime pay, generating a higher overall cost for the project,” Meisenzahl said. “Over time, constant night work would stress the already limited availability of highway maintenance funds, making it financially impractical.”
You can find out about lane closures on state roadways by going to the Transportation Department website, hawaii.gov/dot/highways/roadwork, or by calling the department’s Public Affairs Office at 587-2160.
Online roadwork lists are updated weekly and provide advance notice on lane closures, Meisenzahl said.
To check on roadwork on city roadways, go to www.honolulu.gov/government and check under “News Releases.”
Question: All the street lights around and along the Middle Street-Dillingham Boulevard intersection are out, making it difficult to see pedestrians at night. Yet the adjacent city bus-transit center remains brightly lit all night. When can we expect the problem fixed — after someone is run over?
Answer: The street lights are under the jurisdiction of the state and were the targets, yet again, of copper thieves.
They are scheduled to be repaired between Feb. 27 and March 1, said Dan Meisenzahl, spokesman for the Department of Transportation.
The theft involved a “small amount of copper wire” and was reported to police, he said. Although it was “small enough that we could replace it ourselves,” it was enough to knock out a dozen lights.
Mahalo
To all the emergency first responders when a boat capsized in Kaneohe Bay on Jan. 25 — fire rescue, Coast Guard, police, Navy and Department of Land and Natural Resources. I was the person the captain of the boat flagged down after a two-hour swim to call 911. Within minutes there were air and water responders. At the time there were five men unaccounted for. I was unable to help in the search as my craft is too small, but I also knew that they had been in distress for at least 3 1⁄2 hours, so I am glad that all seven men are alive and well. If I could have gotten to them at Heeia Kea Pier, I just would have hugged them. So thanks to all of you who helped these men. On that note, always remember safety first when boating. — Sandy Gebhardt, Kaneohe
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