Morning rush hour drivers heading westbound will be able to enter the H-1 freeway from the Lunalilo Street on-ramp starting Monday as part of a two-week trial period, the state Department of Transportation said.

The current morning coning redirects traffic to the Punchbowl Street onramp from 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.  

The coning started with trials in 1997 and 2004 as part of an effort to reduct westbound morning traffic congestion and increase traffic flow through the freeway corridor.  The trials were deemed successful and the cones have remained in place, the HDOT said.

“With the completion of restriping of the H1 Freeway to four lanes in each direction between Punahou Street and the vicinity of Middle Street, the HDOT is conducting a trial to determine how removal will affect traffic flow during the morning peak congestion period,” said HDOT Interim Director Ford Fuchigami.  “The integrity of traffic flow through the H1 Freeway corridor is HDOT’s priority, however this trial period will allow engineers to study the impacts of removing the cones to see if permanent removal is possible.”