Community members had their say Saturday about a proposed 18-story-tall pedestrian/bike bridge spanning the Ala Wai Canal at a meeting held by state senators representing the districts that will be affected by the structure.

The majority of those in attendance were opposed and felt it was too late to stop the project, saying that it seemed to be “a done deal” since city Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton told them the design of the bridge is 60% complete.

He said the department is about to hire a bridge expert to complete the remainder of the design.

Sen. Les Ihara, D, Palolo- Kaimuki-Moiliili, who hosted the meeting along with Sen. Carol Fukunaga, D, Manoa- Tantalus-Makiki, said it was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that residents have been able to meet to discuss the project.

Despite it being a city-funded project not requiring money from the Legislature, Ihara and other state senators received complaints from constituents saying they had not heard about the bridge, so they sent out letters to area residents and about 100 attended Saturday’s meeting at Ala Wai Elementary School.

The attendees broke up into small groups to discuss what their opinions were concerning the proposed Ala Wai Bridge Project.

“They will be heard,” Ihara said, adding the results of the group discussions would be passed on to the city.

The bridge, as proposed, would cross from the Waikiki side of the canal at Kalaimoku Street to the Moiliili side aligning with University Avenue, and connect through the Ala Wai Neighborhood Park.

The purpose is to allow walkers and bicyclists to safely cross the Ala Wai Canal between Ala Moana Boulevard and the Manoa/Palolo Stream.

Morton said the city held 17 community meetings on the project over the past 10 years and met with all four neighborhood boards, as well as spoke at length about it on the PBS Hawaii show “Insights.”

Following the small-group discussions, each reported on the different concerns raised about the bridge project. The first group’s leader said, “We don’t really want the bridge,” which received lots of applause.

A member of the group held up a sign saying, “Rebuild Maui not Ala Wai Bridge,” and said, “Give the $25 million to build the bridge to Maui right now,” which also elicited applause.

Another person said, “If the bridge is a done deal, move it away from McCully Bridge.”

Others suggested moving it toward Kapahulu near the Ala Wai Golf Course.

Many of the groups supported having a full environmental impact statement conducted on the project rather than just an environmental assessment.

The majority agreed that preserving the view plane of Diamond Head was a top concern, particularly for residents and condominium owners on the mauka side of the canal.

But one person said he would welcome a shortcut to walk from his home into Waikiki, rather than having to drive, and that “thousands of people would love it for decades to come.”

Luciano Minerbi, a University of Hawaii professor of urban and regional planning, who lives in the area, claimed the real reason the bridge is being over- designed is for cars, to provide people another route to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

“So please don’t lie to us,” he told city officials, adding there is no need for a pedestrian bridge.

Morton said the bridge is not designed for vehicles and it can’t be driven on without a ramp.

Another man tried to get answers from the city such as, “Why do we need a 20-foot-wide bridge? Why does it need to be lit up?”

“Make sure it fits our neighborhood,” he added.

Daniela Minerbi urged the public not to be shy about expressing their views. “Aren’t we the voice of the people who might want it or might not? Already so much money has been invested. It’s better to stop it because it’s going to be way more than what is spent now.”

Most also were reluctant to change the historic designation of the Ala Wai Canal, and many did not think there was a strong need to provide another emergency route out of Waikiki.

Others were concerned that homeless people and criminals would use the bridge to cross into Moiliili from Waikiki.