Question: For what seems to be a couple of years, work has been going on on the H-1 freeway in both directions between the Kapiolani Boulevard cutoff and the Kahala Mall exit. The westbound lanes in particular are only partially complete, making for a very bumpy ride, but it appears all work has stopped and equipment removed. What gives?
Answer: Work has not stopped on the pavement preservation project that has perplexed and frustrated motorists for a year and a half (see is.gd/hqpS0b).
The last targeted deadline for completion came and went last month. The latest word from the state Department of Transportation is that the work should be finished next month.
"The project is lasting longer than expected due to weather and contractor operation issues," said transportation spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter.
However, despite the delays, the project will come in at its budgeted $5.64 million cost, funded entirely by the federal government through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The remaining work will involve "grinding" to smooth the roadway, then re-striping. The grinding can’t be done during the week because of noise restrictions, so work is continuing primarily on weekends, Sluyter said.
"The DOT thanks the public for their patience as we work to complete this important pavement preservation project that will extend the life of the existing concrete on the freeway," she said.
Although the roadway where the work is being done — the oldest stretch of the H-1 dating back to its opening in June 1965 — will be stronger and smoother, it will remain visually a patchwork.
The whitish rectangular areas where steel dowels were inserted into the roadway to reinforce pavement joints will not be removed or covered over.
"The marks on the road where the dowel slots were installed will remain," Sluyter said.
Question: Our Kailua home is adjacent to a row of vacation rentals in a gated community with a tall fence. Sometimes vacationers have noisy parties late at night. We have no way of contacting them directly, so have called the Honolulu Police Department. Officers usually respond promptly and take care of the problem. However, on more than one occasion, officers say they have no way of accessing gated communities and cannot do anything. Is it true that some officers are able to access the gated area while others can’t? What if there were a life-threatening emergency?
Answer: If officers do not have access to a gated community, they will try to contact a resident to gain entry, said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
Sometimes they are able to get in. But if not, and if it’s basically a nuisance complaint, such as loud noise, the officers will not go to any extreme to pursue the complaint.
"This is not a big problem, but this situation comes up from time to time," Yu said.
A life-threatening situation is another matter, and officers would make every attempt to gain access, she said.
MAHALO
To a handsome flight attendant on Hawaiian Airlines and a kind stranger. When my mother, infant daughter and I traveled to Kona, the attendant helped carry our things onboard, stowed them overhead, retrieved them after the flight, then walked us down the ramp. We were overloaded with baby things and appreciated his help. Once back home, we found that someone had found our dog’s lost ID tag on the street and mailed it to the Hawaiian Humane Society (which sent it on to us). We hope for our chance to give back soon. — Grateful in Kailua
CORRECTION
The website to find where ethanol-free gas is sold on Oahu is pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=HI. The hyphen was dropped in Wednesday’s "Kokua Line."
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.
