Hawaii Department of Transportation officials said they will open a single town-bound lane of Likelike Highway for five hours daily for the morning commute this week as crews continue to repair the Wilson Tunnel ceiling.

The Honolulu-bound lane will be open from 4:30 to 9:30 a.m. daily, Monday through Friday, and the speed limit through the work zone will be reduced to 25 mph. Outside the morning commute, all town-bound lanes will be closed at the H-3 Freeway split until the work is complete.

All town-bound lanes were closed over the three-day holiday weekend after an inspection revealed that 25 of the 270 stainless steel rods supporting the town-bound Wilson Tunnel ceiling were fractured, transportation officials said.

The replacement of the 25 rods is projected to be complete and both lanes reopened by 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 20, officials said Sunday.

DOT crews were able to replace 10 rods, but the remainder will not be fixed until additional materials are made available, officials said.

Emergency vehicles will be allowed through the closure but TheBus will not, DOT said. The Pali Highway and H-3 Freeway will be open and are recommended alternative routes.

Officials said there emergency repairs were made to the Wilson Tunnel ceiling rods in 2015 and 2021, and a permanent repair project is scheduled to go to bid in mid-2024.