Question: The metal plates on H-3 are still in place and have not been removed. It is so distressing to receive good news of a repair only for it not to happen!
Answer: We followed up with the state Department of Transportation expecting to hear that expansion joint repairs scheduled for May 2 on the H-3 freeway Kaneohe-bound must have been delayed, but received worse news. Rather than replacing the metal plates with expansion joints, as the DOT had said would happen, different steel plates were installed.
“The repair work was replacement of the large steel plates with a smaller customized steel plate that is fitted to the joint. The customization of the plate is designed to be quieter and less noticeable to drivers due to its reduced profile. The customized steel plates will be replaced when we are able to source the materials. We have had significant difficulty in sourcing the joint material for these larger joints,” Shelly Kunishige, a DOT spokesperson, said Monday in an email.
This work occurred on the H-3 Kaneohe-bound from a half-mile before the Harano Tunnel to the Hospital Rock interchange. Informed of the DOT’s explanation, you said the steel plate that drivers cross as they come out of the tunnel does seem thinner and not as rough as before but that the plate near the Hospital Rock interchange still gives quite a jolt.
The steel plates cover gaps between the concrete slabs of the H-3 freeway that need expansion joints to properly fill.
Q: We attended the UH West Oahu commencement at Stan Sheriff on Saturday, and it was beautifully organized. Will the UH Manoa commencement this Saturday be run similarly with free parking and no entry tickets? Eliminating these bottlenecks makes things much quicker.
A: Yes, although keep in mind that the University of Hawaii’s flagship campus enrolls far more students than the Kapolei location, so expect heavier traffic and bigger crowds.
The spring 2025 commencement website for the University of Hawaii at Manoa (http://808ne.ws/42iDHt2) has details about this Saturday’s ceremonies at Stan Sheriff Center (there are two, at 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., divided by school), including answering the questions you asked:
“Tickets will not be issued and the ceremonies are open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-seated basis. However, as a courtesy, graduates are encouraged to limit their guests to five individuals in the Stan Sheriff Center arena.” Get there early, as doors close when the arena reaches seating capacity.
“Parking is free on commencement day, but limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.” The road from the Waialae gate entrance to the Stan Sheriff Center will be closed before and during the ceremony, and there are various other restrictions on campus; review the website for details.
Mahalo
On May 9 my car broke down in the middle lane of the early-morning traffic on Kinau Street, near Ward Avenue. A young, muscular local gentleman came alongside and asked if I needed help. Without waiting for an answer, he jumped out of his vehicle, took a hold of my car’s seat belt through the open window (with me still at the wheel) and “pulled” the car to the side of the street to clear the road. Everyone around may have been in disbelief, too, for what this one person did. I was still in shock as everything happened so fast that I only got to thanking him but failed to get his name. Mahalo nui to this godsend. May you forever be abundantly blessed for your selfless act. — A most grateful 76-year-old kupuna
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
