South Beretania Street job will resume early next year

Question: A while ago we were all informed (warned) about the pending repaving of South Beretania Street from University Avenue to Alapai Street or thereabouts. After some work on the bus pads, nothing has been happening for quite a few months. What is the status of the repaving?

Question: The repaving of Beretania Street started in September 2014, and the anticipated time to complete the project was one year. To date, the bus pads have been replaced, but it seems like the project has not taken any other steps to complete the repaving process. There are more potholes on Beretania after all of the rain we have had in recent weeks, so the road is getting worse. Could you please print an update on what is going on with this project?

Question: Why is it taking so long to restart the Beretania Street repaving project?

Answer: The status of this stalled project is of high interest to Kokua Line readers, with inquiries increasing as what was originally intended to be its completion date nears. The project is expected to restart early next year, with the scope of the work scaled back, according to the city.

The initial project stalled soon after construction began last fall because the contractor encountered several shallow utilities that would have become a “significant issue” if full-depth road reconstruction had progressed as originally planned, explained Mark K. Yonamine, deputy director of the city Department of Design and Construction.

So the city “decided to revise the proposed rehabilitation of Beretania to go with a less extensive repair and do a 2-inch mill and fill,” he said. “The respective owners of the utilities in conflict would then be able to program a future project to lower the shallow utilities.”

Yonamine said the city is in final negotiations with the contractor, Road and Highway Builders LLC, on a revised contract due to the redesign of the pavement section. “We are estimating to restart construction after the end-of-year holidays,” he said.

Neither the cost nor the duration of the revamped project has been finalized, he said, pending negotiations with the construction company. Originally, the project was supposed to cost about $9.4 million and be finished by this November, according to a news release issued by the city before work commenced.

“Mill and fill” involves removing the existing surface layer with a milling machine and putting down an asphalt overlay; at a thickness of 2 inches, it is considered a structural pavement fix, according to construction industry journals. The more extensive work once planned for South Beretania Street, until the utility conflicts emerged, would have required crews to dig deeper, for a longer-lasting re-pavement.

The other half of Beretania Street, from Alapai to King streets, was repaved during 2006-2007, according to the city.

Q: Is metered street parking still free for electric cars?

A: Yes, with some stipulations. To qualify, the vehicle must have a special license plate certifying it as electric. Qualifying vehicles are exempt from parking fees charged by any state or county agency, for up to 2-1/2 hours at the meter or the maximum time allowed to park, whichever is longer.

The fee exemption doesn’t apply to parking fees charged in increments longer than 24 hours, including weekly, monthly or annual rates.

This benefit is good through June 30, 2020, under Act 168, a 2012 Hawaii law that superseded the 1997 law (Act 290) that originally granted incentives promoting the use of electric vehicles.

Under the current law, “electric vehicle” is defined as “a neighborhood electric vehicle; or a vehicle, with four or more wheels, that draws propulsion energy from a battery with at least four kilowatt hours of energy storage capacity that can be recharged from an external source of electricity.”

Mahalo

Chivalry was alive and well albeit wet in Waialae-Kahala on a recent nasty, rainy afternoon. We had gotten off the bus at Waialae Avenue and Hunakai Street. A big mahalo to the gentleman who shared his umbrella as we walked mauka on Hunakai. Showers of blessings to you and yours. — A grateful senior

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