The reef runway at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport would be renamed after “local boy … and workaholic” Frank T. Okimoto, who died one year after the project was completed in 1978, under House Bill 2218.
Okimoto was the project engineer for the $89 million reef runway, which was the world’s first major runway built entirely offshore, according to the state government’s aviation website.
The runway reduced aircraft noise in urban areas, increased the airport’s capacity to 110 from 70 flights per hour, minimized the impact on indigenous bird populations and the surrounding natural environment, and incorporated tidal circulation in the runway’s marine pond, according to the website.
The runway that Okimoto worked tirelessly to help build is now used primarily by commercial wide-bodied jets and military aircraft.
“He was a workaholic and this was a major project. It took a lot out of him,” said state Rep. Dale Kobayashi (D, Manoa-Punahou-Moiliili), who introduced the bill. “I thought we needed to do something to honor him a little bit.”
Okimoto graduated from Roosevelt High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
“He’s a local boy in every sense,” Kobayashi said. “And he put everything into what was really a unique project at the time, not just here, but globally.”
Okimoto died at the age of 40 from heart failure.
The Okimoto family lives in Kobayashi’s district. Similar bills to name the reef runway after Okimoto were introduced in the past. But this is the first year the idea has made it this far — 44 years after his death, Kobayashi said.
HB 2218 passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee on Thursday.
Unlike the Tetsuo Harano Tunnels on the H-3 freeway, which were renamed after onetime Gov. John A. Burns from 2002 to 2006, Okimoto is the only candidate being considered for the name of the reef runway.
Scott Simon, a professional licensed engineer, called the reef runway “an unsung hero among our state’s critical infrastructure” in his written testimony supporting HB 2218.
It’s essential to tourism, air travel and delivery of essential goods, and successfully created vast acreage in an innovative and environmentally responsible way, he wrote.
The runway also earned two engineering awards: the Aviation Environment Award from the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Outstanding Engineering Achievements Award from the National Society of Professional Engineers.
Simon is a longtime friend of several generations of Okimoto’s family.
“I can attest that the Okimoto family carries on his traditions of strong character, excellence, and service to the community,” Simon wrote.
Those with connections to the reef runway project knew Okimoto for his insight and precise standards that motivated others to reach goals, according to the state’s aviation website. His co-workers affectionately referred to the reef runway as “Frank’s Runway.”
“Frank would be happy to know that the Reef Runway he carefully planned has helped bring enjoyment to the many travelers that come and go on it,” Okimoto’s wife, Maizie Okimoto, wrote in support of HB 2218. “Naming the Reef Runway in his honor would mean a lot to my family.”
Okimoto’s son, Kyle, wrote in support of HB 2218 that one of his favorite childhood memories was driving on the reef runway with his father before it opened.
“My father took my sisters and I out of school and we sped around the brand-new runway in a State vehicle,” he wrote.
If HB 2218 passes, Okimoto hopes travelers and local residents will be inspired to look into his father’s story and learn more about the importance of engineers who complete seemingly impossible projects.
