Reef Runway maintenance alters air traffic patterns

Question: From our condo, I can see the Reef Runway, which has been closed for a long time. I have tried to find out online what they are doing but can’t find anything. We just went to the mainland and took off on another runway. All the big planes are taking off over the city right now. Sometimes they work in the daytime but you can see all the lights at night. Did I miss the announcement about it or was nothing announced?

Answer: There was a short announcement by the state Department of Transportation on Sept. 6 that aircraft traffic over the Honolulu and Kalihi areas would increase because flight patterns have to be altered during airfield maintenance work at Honolulu Airport.

The notice was not posted on the department’s website — hidot.hawaii.gov — until last week.

Repaving work will keep Runway 8R/26L, better known as the Reef Runway, closed 24 hours a day through Thursday, after which it will be closed for eight hours a day for restriping and “grooving” until Dec. 19, said department spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter.

The $20 million project includes repaving 12,000 feet of asphaltic concrete — the entire length of the runway, said  Sluyter. Seventy-five percent of the cost is covered by federal funds, the rest by the state.

The first phase of the project involved repaving each end of the runway, which allowed some flight operations to continue as usual, Sluyter said.

But for the past few weeks and continuing this week, the center portion is being repaved. During this time, flights have to be diverted to other runways, which creates more air traffic over populated areas, she said.

That will continue at least part of the day until Dec. 19, she said. Work that does not require full closing of the runway will continue until early next year.

Question: There is a short unnamed side road off King Street, just before Kalakaua Avenue, next to Panda Express. The right curb was painted red, indicating “no parking,” to allow vehicles to travel unimpeded in both directions. But the curb recently was painted gray and cars are parking there, creating a potential hazard. Who is responsible for this street and are vehicles allowed to park there?

Answer: The roadway is private, so it’s not subject to any city or state regulation or prohibition.
The city paints curbs red only at official bus stops and passenger loading zones, said Michael Formby, director of the city Department of Transportation Services.

When the department is notified that someone has painted a city street curb red, in most cases, the curb is then “blacked out,” he said.

However, the city Department of Facility Maintenance, which would do the repainting, does not use gray paint, “so it looks as if someone else did,” Formby said.

“This no-named road is private though, so in either case, we wouldn’t be involved,” he said.

The tax map key for the road lists it as having “various owners.”

MAHALO

To the lovely lady who treated all of us to delicious gelato when we were sitting on the grass in front of the main public library. She was passing by and asked me who the interesting people I was sitting with were. I told her that they were classical music performers visiting from India, who had just finished a most beautiful concert in the library and were now enjoying a pizza lunch supplied by the library staff. She asked if they could eat gelato and I said they certainly could. A few minutes later, she returned with bags of gelato from a nearby truck vendor. I didn’t catch her name, but her kindness will be remembered by all of us. The musicians said that of all their travels in the U.S., Hawaii stood out as having the warmest people, and this generous woman was a shining example. — Dina Chuensanguansat

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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.