Major roadwork about to start on 2 Oahu highways

Two major highways on Oahu will soon be getting some long-overdue renovation — and the headache-inducing lane closures that come with daytime roadwork.

Drivers who use Kalanianaole Highway in East Oahu and Kamehameha Highway in the Mililani area will start to see crews working next week on overdue repair projects that are not expected to end until 2016, state transportation officials said Wednesday.

The Kalanianaole Highway project will take place from West Hind Drive to Hawaii Kai Drive from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. and Hawaii Kai to Hanauma Bay Road from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The work is taking place during the day because DOT officials felt the overnight work would be a “nightmare” to the homes fronting the highway, DOT Highways Administrator Alvin Takeshita said. However, he added that the schedule means the comprehensive road repairs, already about 15 years overdue, won’t be done until February 2016.

The Kamehameha Highway repair project will run from Ka Uka Boulevard to Waihau Street, with work running from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Officials expect it to be completed by summer 2016.