Waialua bridge construction still ongoing

Construction on a bridge in Waialua is underway, Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services and Department of Design and Construction announced Thursday. The bridge, which crosses over Kiikii Stream, was closed in early April after a structural inspection that found damage due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

Construction on the bridge began in early June, with divers discovering additional damage to the bridge’s support structure below the stream’s surface. The city said divers will be in the water daily and that putting anything in the water near the bridge or in its surrounding area is strictly prohibited.

Construction is scheduled for seven days a week, regardless of state holidays. The city is also performing construction site security, biological monitoring and maintenance of best management practices and existing traffic control measures.

The bridge remains closed, and access to the bridge is currently prohibited. The closure has exacerbated traffic conditions in its surrounding area.

For Waialua resident James Erickson, the traffic backup can be “horrendous.” Drives that previously took five minutes can now take 40. Erickson also said that he wishes the city kept area residents informed on the progress of the bridge’s construction.

“It’s just been dead silence on the city and county’s part, and it just seems like no one’s accountable,” he said. “Who knows how long we’re going to be inconvenienced out here?”

Erickson said he’s fortunate that he’s self-employed and works from home, meaning he doesn’t need to commute back and forth into Honolulu every day.

“I just have great sympathy for all the people that are affected by this situation, and wish that we had some clarity on how it was going to be repaired and how quickly it’ll be repaired,” Erickson said.

It is still unclear when the bridge will reopen. The city said that all travelers must obey traffic rules, signals and signs, and travel with caution in the bridge’s surrounding areas and detour route.