Highways

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) will be closing lanes of Pali Highway between Upper Dowsett Avenue and Ahipuu Street for the installation of two raised crosswalks.

The installations are scheduled from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29 and Monday, Nov. 30 Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Wednesday, Nov. 25. Closures will impact the following lanes:

• All lanes of Kailua-bound Pali Highway between Upper Dowsett Avenue and Ahipuu Street on Nov. 29
• All lanes of Honolulu-bound Pali Highway between Upper Dowsett Avenue and Ahipuu Street on Nov. 30

During the closures, traffic will be maintained in both directions by contraflow in the remaining lanes. Motorists are advised to follow all traffic control signs and to drive with caution through the area. Special duty police officers will be onsite to assist with safety procedures and First responders and TheBus have been notified. Roadwork is weather permitting.

As a reminder, the speed limit on the Pali Highway between Waokanaka Street and Jack Lane is 30 mph. HDOT reduced the speed limit along this mixed-use corridor and announced the raised crosswalks on Oct. 13 (https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/pali-highway-speed-limit-reduced-permanently-to-30-mph-in-nuuanu-beginning-oct-23/).

Raised crosswalks have been previously installed on Kalihi Street fronting the King David Kalakaua Middle School and on Farrington Highway fronting Waianae High School. HDOT is seeking to improve pedestrian safety through the use of raised crosswalks at these frequently used and unsignalized intersections. Their functions will improve visibility of pedestrians and provide drivers a physical cue to reduce vehicle speed.

“The raised crosswalks will immediately address safety concerns in Nuuanu,” said Deputy Director Ed Sniffen, Hawaii Department of Transportation Highways Division. “Collisions involving pedestrians, our most vulnerable road users, have decreased on the corridors where we’ve placed raised crosswalks and we will continue to use all available measures in our toolbox for highway safety.”

Statistics showing the reduction in pedestrian involved crashes for Kalihi Street after the installation of raised crosswalks is included below:

YEAR	# MVC involving Pedestrians	Notes
2015	1
2016	4
2017	2
2018	1
2019	1	(MVC occurred 5/6/2019, raised crosswalks were installed late May 2019)
2020	0	Current up to 10/14/2020
TOTAL	9

HDOT will evaluate the installation of the Pali Highway raised crosswalks and will make a decision on whether or not they have been effective before the start of Phase 2 of the Pali Highway Improvements. The Pali Highway Improvements Phase 2 will repave the highway between Waokanaka Street and Vineyard Boulevard and is scheduled to begin in 2021.

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