HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) will be removing three monkeypod trees growing on the upper slope of the H-1 Freeway westbound adjacent to North School Street near Liliha Street. The work will require temporary lane closures.
On Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the two right lanes on the H-1 Freeway westbound will be closed from Nuuanu Avenue to the Liliha Street overpass. The School Street on and off ramps will be closed during the scheduled hours. Both westbound lanes on North School Street will also be closed between Nuuanu Street and Liliha Street. Motorists can use North Vineyard Boulevard or Kuakini Street to bypass the lane closure. If necessary, crews will close the lanes on Thursday, Sept. 8 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to complete the removal.
An overnight single lane closure is scheduled on North School Street Sunday, Sept. 11 through Thursday, Sept. 15 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to allow crews to remove remaining roots and repair the slope.
An additional overnight single lane closure on North School Street is scheduled Sunday, Sept. 18 through Monday, Sept. 19 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for slope improvements and erosion prevention.
HDOT is prioritizing this effort to address the area which was impacted by recent severe weather systems. The area experienced flooding during Tropical Storm Darby July 24, 2016 when heavy rain came over the drainage system down to the H-1 Freeway. The non-native trees in the area lifted the curb, roadway and utility ground junction boxes. This has also contributed to erosion on the slope creating gullies and exposing the root system. A certified arborist recommended removing the trees. Removal of the trees and roots is necessary before any other slope treatments can be implemented.
HDOT thanks the traveling public for its patience as we make the necessary improvements and work to prevent future incidents.
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