HONOLULU (KHON2) — Those who dread that morning traffic going east on Nimitz Highway may find some relief. The state’s new pilot program may have found a way to significantly reduce road congestion.
The state is hoping morning traffic on Nimitz Highway by the Honolulu Harbor will be a thing of the past.
“It’s pretty bad. It’s really bad, actually. Sometimes it’s hard for us to get in and out of our building because the traffic build up. It goes from [Young Brothers] to all the way down by the McDonald’s sometimes,” stated Demontreal Johnson, D. Otani Produce Transportation Manager.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) in partnership with Young Brothers will set up a mobile container to pre-check trucks heading into the YB facility.
Truck drivers making deliveries or picking up goods said they’ve had to wait three hours at times just getting through the line. Workers like Johnson hope this will be a solution.
“It’s kind of like a fastpass. It’s like you’re going to Disneyland and you get to have an expedited entry already checked in cargo. Think of it as having another access point, but pre-staging in another location that makes traffic kind of spread out in a bigger footprint,” stated Chris Martin, YB Vice President of Operations.
Containers from either Matson or Pasha will be directed to the HDOT Sand Island weigh station to precheck equipment from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.
Approved trucks will be permitted to enter YB’s Libby gate on Auiki street via its fast flow lane. Trucks that are not approved will be queued in an area off Auiki Street.
“We’re making sure that we not only get people to where they need to go a lot more efficiently, but we start reducing that weaving that happens on the highway that causes crashes and safety issues,” said Ed Sniffen, HDOT Director.
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The pilot program will begin March 17. The city will restrict parking along the makai curb of Auiki Street between Kalihi and Libby Streets Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to noon.