State transportation officials said today that current contraflow hours for Pali Highway will remain the same, as emergency repairs continue in the wake of damaging rockslides in mid-February.

The morning contraflow will remain the same as last month, with two lanes of Honolulu bound traffic available from 5 to 9 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, and the Kailua bound lanes available 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays for the evening commute.

Repairs remain on track, according to state Highways Division deputy director Ed Sniffen, with the estimated reopening of Pali Highway set for end of August.

“This gives us the best opportunity to maximize the construction schedules to not only get the emergency repairs done in August, but also the reconstruction of Pali Highway done by August timeframe,” said Sniffen. “So we really appreciate the public’s patience with us on this.”

Crews are still at work installing an attenuator catchment system, made up of anchors and a strong, mesh barrier below Old Pali Road to catch debris from the slopes of the Koolau above. Once that work is done, then work below can begin below, he said. The state is also planning an 80-foot extension to the entrance of the second tunnel going townbound, with designs expected to be finalized by the middle of the month.

The estimated cost of repairs and new additions is currently about $21 million, Sniffen said.

In the meantime, crews also continue previously scheduled repaving work on the townbound side of Pali Highway, also on schedule for completion by August.

Additionally, state officials informed the public of the following:

>> For the duration of the emergency repairs, the state will discontinue the morning coning at Castle Junction that provided a second dedicated right turn lane from Kamehameha Highway onto Pali Highway Honolulu bound.

>> Pali Tunnel light repairs are expected to be done in early June. Until then, tunnels lights are still out.

>> During emergency repairs on Pali Highway, maintenance work on Koolau routes such as the H-3 freeway and Likelike Highway may still proceed as necessary, with advance notification of closures.

>> State officials are putting estimated travel times back on the Dynamic Message Signs on the H-1 Kaamilo Street overpass going eastbound, and the H-1 Liliha Street overpass going westbound.

>> The public is reminded that there is no access to Pali Highway between Castle Junction and Waokanaka Street Saturdays, Sundays, and on holidays.