QUESTION: When will they complete the roadwork on Waialae Avenue? It seems like they tear it up more than they repair it, and now it’s like driving across a lava field complete with skylights (potholes) that swallow your wheels and throw your car out of alignment — and worse.
ANSWER: The estimated completion date was this month, but that turned out to be too optimistic.
The target date is now June, six months behind schedule.
The city’s contractor has continued to hit "soft spots" all along Waialae Avenue, "something we were not expecting," said Chris Takashige, director of the city Department of Design and Construction.
"We’ve accelerated their work as best as we can by providing longer work hours, but we are still falling behind our intended schedule," Takashige said Monday.
Takashige explained to us last year — is.gd/72fKSL — that the $9.3 million project to repave Waialae from Kapahulu to 17th avenues couldn’t finish in December because of the unexpected soft areas. Still, it looked like completion would be delayed only one month.
The project began in July 2012 and called for removing 11 inches of old pavement before laying a new surface. It initially was to take 16 months.
But with soft spots uncovered all along Waialae — caused by rain or water leaking from pipes seeping into the roadway — workers have had to take out more subsurface material, then build it up inches at a time in a time-consuming process.
Added costs to date amount to about $110,000, but more contract changes are expected, Takashige said.
QUESTION: What is the problem with the city’s dog tags? I sent my check in November and still not have received the tag. They told me it would take four weeks to get the dog tag. Why so long?
ANSWER: You should receive it soon, if not already.
Although the two-year dog licenses issued by the city expire at the end of the calendar year in December, owners have until March 10 to renew the licenses to avoid a late payment of 10 percent, said Sheri Kajiwara, director of the city Department of Customer Services.
The mainland vendor that supplies the dog tags was late in shipping them to the city, but they were expected to arrive by mid-January.
"We did expect delivery in December, but only a portion of the shipment came in and those are being used by Hawaiian Humane Society to issue new dog licenses," Kajiwara explained.
She said customers with renewals good through 2015 are being provided the following choices:
» Turn in their renewal and payment as instructed on the renewal form. Tags will be mailed when they come in.
» Renew licenses at the Hawaiian Humane Society or any satellite city hall when the dog tags become available.
Dog owners can call the Special Services Section at 532-7710 to get the latest update, although most of the tags should have been received and put in the mail by now.
Licenses cost $10 for dogs 4 through 7 months old; $10 for neutered dogs 8 months and older, with a veterinarian certificate; and $28.50 for un-neutered dogs 8 months and older.
For more information, go to www.hawaiianhumane.org/Pet-Identification.html.
MAHALO
To a very kind TheBus driver. I was waiting for the bus at the stop in front of Foodland at the Ewa Town Center back in December. I started to go on with my motorized wheelchair but fell between the bus and the curb. I was embarrassed and my groceries also fell. The driver got out and was real polite and helped me onto the bus. I would like to thank him and all the other bus drivers. — Sol Kahaawi
The driver received your note of appreciation.
"Our bus operators are trained to provide service with aloha, and it is wonderful to provide them with positive feedback when they do a job well done," said Michelle Kennedy, spokeswoman for Oahu Transit Services.
———
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.
