Kyle Nakamura has been named civil construction manager of the first major component of the new Honolulu rail system, which is the $502 million West Oahu/Farrington Highway Guideway project being built by Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.
The initial 6.5-mile stretch of elevated guideway will extend from East Kapolei to Pearl Highlands.
Nakamura, a graduate of Waiakea High School in Hilo, is a 14-year veteran of the construction industry and has worked with Kiewit for 12 years.
Nakamura held management positions on several Kiewit projects, including project manager of one of the segments for the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Widening Project in Los Angeles.
He has also served as Kiewit’s general superintendent on a number of Hawaii projects, including the Honokaia Pastoral Lots, Waipio Point Subdivision and H-1 Waimalu Viaduct.
Nakamura was working in Los Angeles prior to returning to Hawaii to work on the Honolulu Rail Transit Project.
"A highly trained and experienced team is critical for this project," said Lance Wilhelm, senior vice president and Hawaii area manager at Kiewit. "Nakamura brings valuable transportation-related work experience and local knowledge to the Farrington Guideway project, as demonstrated by his track record, both here in Honolulu and in other parts of the country. He serves an instrumental role in leading Kiewit and its multiple subcontractors who are building this first phase of Honolulu’s rail project."
As civil construction manager, Nakamura oversees all work on grading, site preparation, utility relocation, soil sampling, roadway widening and other activities along Farrington Highway.
Kiewit has been in Hawaii for more than 50 years and is one of North America’s largest construction, mining and engineering companies with 2011 revenues of more than $10 billion.