Department of Transportation

Improvements to include widening to eliminate a merge and raising the Gulick Avenue Overpass

HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) notifies highway users that the Eastbound H-1 Freeway Improvement Project – from the Ola Lane Overpass to the Likelike Highway Off-Ramp – is beginning on Tuesday night, Jan. 2, 2024. For this stage of the project, there will be two lanes closed within the project limits on Sunday nights through Thursday nights, from 8 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., and two lanes closed on Friday nights and Saturday nights from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The Eastbound H-1 Freeway Improvement Project is designed to enhance safety and alleviate congestion in an area where two main freeways —the H-201 Moanalua Freeway and the H-1 Freeway —merge. To do this, HDOT will widen the makai side of the H-1 Freeway to eliminate the center-lane merge near the Ola Lane Overpass. Upon completion, there will be four 11-foot-lanes and one dedicated lane to the Likelike Highway Off-ramp, a 4-foot inside shoulder, and an outside shoulder that will vary in width between 2 to 8 feet. See visuals of the improvements below.

Additionally, the Gulick Avenue Overpass will be adjusted alongside the H-1 Freeway. Construction will lengthen the mauka and makai ends of the bridge by 15.5 inches, the clearance height of the overpass will increase by six inches, and the wall above the existing median will be filled in. To reconstruct the Gulick Avenue Overpass, the bridge will be completely removed for approximately six months and replaced with a temporary bridge, for bicyclists and pedestrian use only. During the installation and removal of the temporary bridge, the H-1 Freeway will be completely closed in both directions overnight. Once the dates for the full closures are set, HDOT will notify the public.

The estimated completion date for the Eastbound H-1 Freeway Improvements Project is scheduled for June 2026, weather permitting. For more information, please view the project website at https://h1widening.com/

HDOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, be aware of all traffic control signs and barriers, and plan commutes ahead of time. Special duty police officers will be on-site assisting with safety procedures. To view a weekly roadwork list for Oʻahu, please visit https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork/oahu/. All roadwork is weather permitting.

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