Department of Transportation

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) advises Oahu motorists of a full closure of the H-3 Freeway in the Honolulu-bound direction from 9 p.m. on Friday night, May 9, continuously through 4 a.m. on Monday morning, May 12. Crews will be replacing a viaduct expansion joint that crosses both Honolulu-bound lanes.

“We do apologize for any inconvenience to motorists that this continuous closure may cause over the weekend,” said Glenn Okimoto, HDOT Director. “The repairs are very necessary to maintain highway safety and both lanes will need to stay closed as the work spans the entire width of the Honolulu-bound viaduct.”

Work will require the removal of the existing expansion joint, installation of a replacement joint and concrete pouring. Expansion joints are used to fill gaps between viaduct segments to allow for the natural heat-related expansion and contraction of the concrete, which can reach six inches or more during the hottest and coldest hours of the day.

During the full closures, additional work crews will also be performing tunnel cleaning and maintenance work in the Honolulu-bound Harano Tunnel.

Electronic messageboards will warn motorists of the upcoming lane closures. Honolulu-bound motorists are advised to use the Likelike Highway or Pali Highway as alternate routes, adjust their commute times and expect delays.

 The existing expansion joint seen above is wearing out and requires replacement
to ensure the gap between the concrete viaduct segments stay flush.

The new expansion joint was designed by HDOT’s Highways Division engineers
and built on Oahu, saving about $750,000.