State's DOT List To Use $246 Million Stimulus
Projects Include Bridge Replacement To Upgraded Traffic Lights
POSTED: 5:15 pm HST March 16, 2009
UPDATED: 5:42 pm HST March 16, 2009
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HONOLULU -- The state on Monday released a list of $246 million worth of transportation projects, which will use federal stimulus funds across Hawaii.The 22 projects will create more than 3,000 jobs, officials said. Some of the projects have been on the books for years. Without money to fund them, they have been stalled, until now.One of the highest-priced projects on Oahu will replace the old Punaluu Bridge, along Kamehameha Highway, costing $17 million. If you look under the bridge, which was built in 1926, you can see why it needs replacement.
Slideshow: Project Maps | State List | Counties List
Neighbor Makua Annon, whose family will have to temporarily move during the project, said state officials have been telling him about it for nearly one decade."My son was born in 2000, and he's 9 years old now, and they told us then, and about every year after that, you know, it was like, 'OK, we got to find a place to live again.' It was just, 'Not yet. Not yet,'" Annon said."Some have been around for a number of years that have simply been deferred because of the lack of funds and what the stimulus does it allows ready-to-go projects with a lack of funding to progress," state Transportation Director Brennon Morioka said.Another big Oahu project will cost about $1.8 million for a seismic retrofit of the Makakilo interchange over the H-1 Freeway, to better resist earthquake damage.About $58 million will be spent for explosive detection improvements at both Honolulu and Kahului airports."A lot of effort went into trying to spread these projects around, not just having geographic distribution, but also looking at the different types of trades that we want to be able to affect and put people back to employment," Morioka said.Officials said they decided on different projects based on whether they were ready to go out to bid in the next few months."With construction activity on the decline, and the rising unemployment that we've experienced recently, we must make certain that these funds produce maximum results for the people of our state," Gov. Linda Lingle said.There is also highway resurfacing on all the neighbor islands, including a 2-mile bike path at Lydgate State Park on Kauai and improvements to Market Street on Maui.A Honolulu County project includes the installation and upgrading of traffic signals at nine locations on Oahu.
Slideshow: Project Maps | State List | Counties List
Neighbor Makua Annon, whose family will have to temporarily move during the project, said state officials have been telling him about it for nearly one decade."My son was born in 2000, and he's 9 years old now, and they told us then, and about every year after that, you know, it was like, 'OK, we got to find a place to live again.' It was just, 'Not yet. Not yet,'" Annon said."Some have been around for a number of years that have simply been deferred because of the lack of funds and what the stimulus does it allows ready-to-go projects with a lack of funding to progress," state Transportation Director Brennon Morioka said.Another big Oahu project will cost about $1.8 million for a seismic retrofit of the Makakilo interchange over the H-1 Freeway, to better resist earthquake damage.About $58 million will be spent for explosive detection improvements at both Honolulu and Kahului airports."A lot of effort went into trying to spread these projects around, not just having geographic distribution, but also looking at the different types of trades that we want to be able to affect and put people back to employment," Morioka said.Officials said they decided on different projects based on whether they were ready to go out to bid in the next few months."With construction activity on the decline, and the rising unemployment that we've experienced recently, we must make certain that these funds produce maximum results for the people of our state," Gov. Linda Lingle said.There is also highway resurfacing on all the neighbor islands, including a 2-mile bike path at Lydgate State Park on Kauai and improvements to Market Street on Maui.A Honolulu County project includes the installation and upgrading of traffic signals at nine locations on Oahu.
Previous Stories:
- March 16, 2009: State DOT Projects For Stimulus Funds
- March 5, 2009: Inouye Says State To Receive $44M For Transit Projects
- February 23, 2009: Lingle Meets With Obama, Says Funds Arriving Soon
- February 22, 2009: Governor To Accept Stimulus Money For Hawaii
- February 17, 2009: $2B In Federal Funds Aim To Stimulate Hawaii
- January 28, 2009: Stimulus Plan's Include $2B For Hawaii
- December 15, 2008: State Unveils $1.86 Billion Stimulus Projects Plan
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