An extended-stalled mission to interchange the 90-year-old Waiaka Bridge on Freeway 19 in Waimea is shifting once more.
The state Division of Transportation has renewed efforts to put in a brand new, bigger bridge to span Keanuiomano Stream, realign how the freeway, also called Kawaihae Highway, approaches the bridge and reconfigure the street’s intersection with Kohala Mountain Highway (Freeway 250) to a roundabout.
The work, anticipated to value about $10 million and take over a 12 months to finish, might get underway as early as summer time 2023. Easements on personal land must be secured to accommodate the mission, which is able to shift the intersection east.
Throughout development, a short lived bypass street and bridge can be constructed to permit the closely traveled Kawaihae Highway to proceed to function.
A draft environmental evaluation, which anticipates a discovering of no vital influence for the mission, was printed March 23 kicking off a 30-day public remark interval. Enter is due by April 22 to the proposing/consulting company in addition to the marketing consultant.
A public assembly can be held through the remark interval; nonetheless, officers mentioned Wednesday {that a} particular date had not been set thought it will likely be held round April 13.
Constructed in 1932, Waiaka Bridge is a 26-foot vast and 38-foot lengthy concrete bridge with a bolted 3-foot picket walkway.
The Nationwide Bridge Stock Requirements, which inspects and charges bridges on a scale of 100 to a low rating of 0, gave Waiaka Bridge a sufficiency score of 26 and recognized the bridge as “functionally out of date.” Bridges deemed “functionally out of date” sometimes would not have satisfactory lane widths, shoulder widths or vertical clearances to serve site visitors demand.
For Waiaka Bridge, this deficiency leads to site visitors congestion and delays, the draft EA states. Throughout a 15-minute peak of morning site visitors in January 2021, some 1,188 autos handed via the Kohala Mountain and Kawaihae roads intersection. Within the afternoon, 1,448 autos traversed the intersection in a 15-minute span.
“As a serious transportation hyperlink to Kawaihae Harbor, East Hawaii, and West Hawaii, congestion and delays alongside Kawaihae Highway have an vital influence on the motion of products and companies, as nicely the final high quality of life. Bringing Waiaka Bridge design to present state and federal design pointers for lane widths, shoulders, pedestrian entry, and railing heights is required for environment friendly operations,” the draft EA reads.
The prevailing Waiaka Bridge would get replaced with a 53-foot vast by as much as 80-foot lengthy bridge to accommodate two lanes of auto journey, a shoulder/bike lane and a raised sidewalk. As well as, the roadway approaches can be realigned to enhance line-of-sight for motorists and create a clean transition to the bridge.
The mission additionally consists of reconfiguring the intersection of Kawaihae and Kohala Mountain roads to a roundabout. The draft EA mentioned a roundabout would “outperform a T-intersection” and take away the necessity for a site visitors sign.
A brand new, bigger bridge may even enhance hydraulic circumstances for Keanuiomano Stream, which has been recognized to over-top the bridge throughout massive storm occasions. As soon as full, the draft EA states the bridge would be capable of accommodate a 100-year rain occasion, and even cut back the potential flood danger to adjoining properties.
The value tag for the mission can be shared between the state and federal governments. Changing Waiaka Bridge is taken into account a “system preservation mission” on the Statewide Transportation Enchancment Program checklist for fiscal years 2022-25 making it certified for federal funding.
The state funds invoice for fiscal biennium July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023, presently making its methods via the Senate, would allocate $1.6 million in state funds and $6.4 million in federal funds by mid-2023.
Whereas the usage of Federal Freeway Administration funding sometimes triggers compliance with the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act evaluate course of, a “Categorical Exclusion” is anticipated. The mission, nonetheless, will nonetheless should adjust to different federal legal guidelines, together with Part 7 of the Endangered Species Act and Part 106 of the Nationwide Historic Preservation Act.
The not too long ago launched environmental doc comes over a decade after the state first launched a draft EA to interchange the ageing bridge. The doc was pulled in 2016 because of “new circumstances and knowledge which may require further research.”
In July 2019, the state mentioned it was within the last phases of contracting a marketing consultant to conduct the brand new environmental evaluation launched this month for the mission. At the moment, officers hoped the environmental research and design work would have been accomplished by the tip of 2021.
Feedback on the draft EA launched March 23 needs to be despatched to the State of Hawaii, Division of Transportation, Andrew Hirano, 601 Kamokila Blvd. #688, Kapolei, HI 96707 or electronic mail to andrew.j.hirano@hawaii.gov and Guide WSP USA Inc., Darin Chinen, 1001 Bishop St., Suite 2400, ASP Tower, Honolulu, HI 96813 or electronic mail to Darin.chinen@wsp.com.
The 405-page draft EA may be considered at https://bit.ly/3Nzzier.
