Highways

HILO – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) announces adjustments to the AM northbound contraflow on Keaau Pahoa Road (Route 130) between Shower Drive and Kaloli Drive.

The contraflow operates between 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and began on Monday, August 26, 2019.

Travel time measurements and vehicle counts from the first week of operations showed an average time savings of 9 minutes and 28 seconds and an approximate 121-percent increase in the number of vehicles travelling through Keaau Pahoa Road within the contraflow limits. The travel time measurement and vehicle count data can be seen at: KPR Travel Time Comparison and KPR Traffic Count Comparisons.

These operational improvements to Keaau Pahoa Road were accompanied by a 55-percent reduction in the number of vehicles that were able to make the right-hand turn from Shower Drive onto northbound Keaau Pahoa Road (comparison can be seen here). HDOT crews adjusted the contraflow coning through the Pohaku/Shower Drive intersection to clearly show those turning left from Pohaku Drive that they should be turning into the left lane on Keaau Pahoa Road northbound.

While this adjustment allows for a more efficient right turn from Shower Drive when the signal is green, HDOT crews had concerns regarding the sight distance for the Shower Drive right-turn onto Keaau Pahoa Road on the red phase of the light. Crews will continue to monitor to see if there are changes that can be made or if the sight distance requires a “No turn no red” restriction. HDOT will continue to update the community if this change is necessary for safety.

During the first week of operations, HDOT crews placed concrete barriers along the widened shoulder of Keaau Pahoa Road in areas where the shoulder dropped off steeply to prevent cars from falling off at these spots. After additional study, it was determined that the safer option would be removal of the barriers and installation of delineators to make these areas more visible and to warn motorists of the drop off conditions.

Work to remove the barriers and install the delineators will take place nightly Thursday, Sept. 5, and Friday, Sept. 6, between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. This work will be done within roving single lane closures on Keaau Pahoa Road between Shower Drive and Kaloli Drive.

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