The city is poised to close the half-mile gap in Kapolei Parkway, completing the connection of Ewa Beach to the Kapolei Commons shopping center, and making life easier for area residents and visitors.

"Just imagine opening up an artery that connects all the vital parts of the community," said Dan White, co-founder of Island Pacific Academy, a private school in Kapolei, a quarter of whose students come from Ewa Beach. "It cuts commute time and distributes traffic in a way not distributed before."

The city will hold a grand opening celebration Tuesday for the road, which is about 6.5 miles long. It is free and open to the public.

The roadway will open at 10 a.m. Wednesday to vehicle traffic, allowing motorists to travel between Kalaeloa Boulevard and Fort Barrette Road.

Kapolei Parkway now becomes a major thoroughfare through the "Second City," and connects people with government, including the Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex, and businesses such as Costco and Home Depot, as well as a more direct route to the H-1 freeway, the city says.

Makakilo-Kapolei-Ko Olina Neighborhood Board Transportation Chairman D. Kalani Capelouto said: "It will alleviate some of the traffic through the center of town. It will help reduce the amount of damage to the road (Kamokila Boulevard). … It should help all the businesses in Kapolei because it’s going to provide another feeder road."

But many residents have wondered why it’s taken so long to complete Kapolei Parkway, begun 15 years ago by developer-landowner Kapolei Property Development, an affiliate of the James Campbell Co.

"The last little spur has taken a long time to open, and it’s just a stone’s throw between the barriers on either side of it," White said.

Kapolei Property Development built the two major segments, but that center piece was left unfinished.

Dave Rae, senior vice president for Kapolei Property Development explained that the city agreed some years ago to take over construction of the remainder of the road in exchange for land in the heart of Kapolei and for other consideration.

Rae said many people had asked: "Geez, it looks done. Why can’t I use it?"

"They see the first layer of blacktop," and presume it’s done, but much more needed to be done, such as installing manholes, he said.

The city Department of Design and Construction built the first 400 to 500 feet, and the Department of Transportation Services completed the final half-mile, said Transportation Services Director Mike Formby.

DTS started work on the half-mile, $14 million segment in November 2012 and finished it just behind schedule, originally forecasted for completion in August, Formby said.

Rae said neither the city nor its contractor has been negligent, and it was done in a timely fashion.

"It’s a long road, and there were pieces that had to be finished," he said. "Construction projects take time, whether the city or our projects. … The city had to go around roads that we were doing."

Rae said that as an area resident the opening of the road is a major event for residents to be able to travel all the way from Ewa Beach to the Kapolei Commons, as well as for commuters, especially workers at Campbell Industrial Park.

The road will eventually connect to Ko Olina, he said. "Other than the freeway, it’s a major east-west connector," he said.

Capelouto, however, said the city has failed to maintain the main drag through the city — Kamokila Boulevard, where "cars are taking a beating," between the Chili’s Restaurant and Zippy’s, and hopes the city will be able to maintain all the Second City’s roadways.

Tuesday’s celebration begins at 4 p.m. with keiki activities, Makeke Open Market and food trucks, and community members are invited to bike and walk the parkway before formal festivities begin.

At 5:30 p.m. the Kapolei High School color guard and marching band will lead a procession to the stage, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. Mayor Kirk Caldwell and other elected officials and dignitaries will be present.

Kapolei High School’s choral group and Polynesian group will perform at the ceremony.

Free parking will be available on Kapolei Parkway past Alohikea Street.