NANAKULI (KHON2) — An emergency access road in Waianae is slated to open in the Spring 2025.
For years, Waianae coast residents have been dealing with gridlock traffic on Farrington Highway.
Any accident or road closure could add two to three hours to a daily commute on the one way in and one way out major thoroughfare.
“This is a gate that’s always been closed off to the public,” said Rep. Cedric Gates (D) – Waianae, Makaha) while pointing at a yellow gate locked at the intersection of Paakea Road and Hakimo Road. “Especially during times of crisis when people are seeking another alternative route and they turn up here to see locked gates, it’s a heart breaker.”
The gate has been closed for decades, and is rarely opened during emergencies. But, after years of discussions with the Navy, private land owners, the state and county, area lawmakers said the state Department of Transportation has stepped up to fix the section of road (Paakea to Hakimo and Lualualei Naval Rd) which will give Waianae coast residents another permanent access route.
“The DOT has taken the kuleana to upgrade the road to city standards,” Rep. Gates explained. “And what will happen after that is they will transfer the road back to the city for management and maintenance.”
Rep. Gates, who has been advocating for this road to open for eight years, said the lanes were too narrow to meet city standards, but says more improvements could be coming.
“Residents now have another way to access Waianae or Maili quicker so this is a huge win,” said Rep. Darius Kila (D) – Nanakuli, Maili. “This will serve as a model for communities across the state to look for cheaper, quicker and safer roads to get around communities, should they have to leave.”
Some Hakimo Road residents said they were concerned about unnecessary traffic and safety.
“I’m just worried because the speed limit isn’t always followed here,” said Josh Keanu, who lives on Hakimo Road. “You have a straight shot to Paakea which is another road where the speed limit isn’t followed, so when two speed limit roads aren’t being followed, you know what I mean? That’s my only concern.”
He said this is a great access route for everyone in Waianae, as it’s the main funnel if something happened in Maili or Nanakuli.
“I’ve seen the traffic bad over here,” he added. “The new road could save anywhere from an hour to three hours in some cases.”
Area lawmakers said sidewalks, street lights, and speed humps are all being discussed.
“The road at Paakea in Nanakuli has been a prolific site for dumping and illegal activity,” Rep. Kila explained. “But now we’re able to access and allocate state county resources for this road and it could potentially stop illegal dumping, add lighting fixtures to this road and even do a lot of speed mitigation measures.”
The DOT said the estimated completion time is April or May 2025.
The estimated cost is about $8.5 million.