State confirms H-3 closures for COVID-19 testing
The Hawaii Department of Transportation is reminding Oahu motorists that the H-3 Freeway will be closed in both directions tomorrow and Thursday for COVID-19 surge testing.
This is the second week of the federally funded surge testing program on Oahu aimed at testing up to 60,000 people. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General and the city is collaborating on the effort that began Wednesday.
The H-3 freeway will be closed from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow and Thursday. Testing will be conducted on a first-come first-served basis and take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ed Sniffen, deputy director of the state Department of Transportation’s Highways Division, encouraged individuals to pre-register online first to enable efficient testing and traffic flow as he anticipates 5,000 to 7,000 individuals to be tested.
Registration and testing will take place inside the tunnels in both directions.
Vehicles may enter H-3 to line up for the testing starting at 8:30 a.m. from the following ramps:
>> H-201 Moanalua Freeway eastbound (Exit 1C) at the Halawa Interchange, offramps to H-3 East/Kaneohe.
>> H-201 Moanalua Freeway westbound (Exit 1D) at the Halawa Interchange, offramps to H-3 East/Kaneohe.
>> H-1 eastbound (Exit 13A) offramp to H-3 & 78 East – Honolulu/Kaneohe.
>> H-1 westbound (Exit 13B) offramp to H-3 & 78 East – Honolulu/Kaneohe.
>> Kamehameha Highway Kaneohe bound, offramp to H-3 West/Pearl Harbor.
>> Kamehameha Highway Kailua bound, offramp to H-3 West/Pearl Harbor.
Portable toilets will be set up at every mile along the H-3 freeway. Drivers and passengers must bring their own hand sanitizers or hand wipes and wear face coverings.
There will be no access to the H-3 Freeway from Likelike Highway. Non-testing traffic on Halawa bound H-3 from Kailua and Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii will be directed to the Kamehameha Highway offramps at the Halekou interchange, Exit 11.
To pre-register or for more information for the free COVID-19 surge testing program, visit doineedacovid19test.com.
