Hawaii is often associated with palm trees and beaches, but for residents in the Kalihi neighborhood in Honolulu, daily life is more likely defined by traffic congestion and delays. To improve traffic flow in the area, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and general contractor, Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company (HDCC), are working on the Eastbound H-1 Improvements project.

Interstate H-1 runs for over 27 miles, making it the longest interstate highway in Hawaii. The average daily traffic on H-1 in the project area is 180,000 (95,000 in each direction).

From 6:30 a.m. onwards, morning commuters face backups. By 7:30 a.m., commuters are typically facing a 25-minute delay with traffic backed up for 1.5 miles. Congestion occurs, to a lesser extent, during the noontime rush and evenings, particularly on Fridays.

The HDOT website says the project has a dual objective. Those objectives are “enhancing safety and alleviating congestion along the eastbound H-1 corridor spanning from the Ola Lane overpass to the Likelike Highway off-ramp.” The project area is approximately 0.4 miles.

The congestion and safety issues are not solely due to the large volume of traffic.

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“There’s a lot of weaving in the area as some drivers are making their way onto H-2 and H-201,” HDOT Director of Transportation Edward Sniffen said. “The lanes are tight — just 9 feet.”

Another issue is that the area is home to the state's lowest overpass at 14 feet 2 inches, which is a few inches shorter than a nearby overpass. Trucks regularly hit the overpass. When this occurs, HDOT needs to partially or fully shut down the highway to remove the debris.

According to HDOT’s website, the project will eliminate the “center-lane merge from H-201 east of Ola Lane into H-1, as well as expanding both lanes and shoulders along this specific stretch of the H-1 highway.”

The project, Sniffen noted, is an extension of a project HDOT did in the early 2010s.

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“At that time, we added a lane just east of this project,” he said. “The current project completes the additional lane in the area and eliminates the merge from H-2 and H-201.”

In addition to adding a fifth lane to H-1, the team is widening each lane by 1 foot. They are widening a left shoulder from 1 to 4 feet and the right shoulder from 2 to 8 feet. The widened right shoulder means emergency vehicles can enter the area more easily, causing fewer delays. The short overpass will be raised to 14 feet 8 inches (2 inches taller than the one nearby).

Finally, the team is installing multiple retaining walls, moving utilities, and extending abutments.

The population most impacted by this construction project is the local Kalihi community. Much of the work is taking place close to homes in the area, and traffic is being brought near the neighborhood.

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“We’re aware of the community and doing everything we can to minimize impact to the people in the area. ... People have expressed a concern about noise, so we’re putting extensions on the retaining walls to minimize the disturbance,” Sniffen said.

H-1 is open to traffic throughout construction except for some limited cases. At these times, the team has performed the work at night to limit traffic disruption.

There are multiple schools in the project area, and students walk through the area to get to school. To accommodate their journey, retain access, and make the trip as safe as possible, the team built temporary overpasses.

One example is the Gulick Overpass. Gulick Avenue crosses over the H-1, with a park on one side of the overpass and an elementary school on the other. The team is lengthening the Gulick Overpass by 16 feet to accommodate the widened roadway below. The overpass is critical to the community, as it provides access for school students.

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Despite the impact on the neighborhood, the community has been supportive, according to Sniffen.

“They let us know upfront about their concerns and are looking forward to seeing the project completed as soon as possible,” he said.

Another challenge involves relocating utilities without disrupting service to the surrounding area. To ensure continual service, the team has worked closely with the utility companies.

The work zone is also restrictive, as the area is landlocked and HDOT had limited right of way acquisitions. The work zone is right off the freeway. There is some access from the street above the freeway, but for the most part, staging is within the shoulder that is separated from traffic by jersey barriers. This affects the movement of materials and equipment in and out of the area. However, the greater impact is on construction design.

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“We have to go vertical in everything we do,” Sniffen said. “Land is very expensive in Hawaii, so to keep land acquisition costs down, we aim to maximize use of vertical planes.”

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company has been around for over 120 years. The Honolulu-based contractor has over 900 employees, with many having 20-plus years of experience, according to the company’s website.

HDCC’s experience has benefited the Eastbound H-1 Improvements project. The project team includes the same people who handled the project in the early 2010s.

“They know the community and are aware of the challenges,” Sniffen said. “Hawaiian Dredging has been great to partner with. When we run into issues, we work seamlessly with them to address it in a timely manner.”

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HDCC has also been helpful with keeping the project on budget. The construction budget is $105 million, with the federal government contributing 80 percent of the financing and the state paying the remainder.

Construction on the project began in January 2024, and it is scheduled to wrap up in November 2027. Sniffen noted that the team has been able to keep the project on schedule, despite weather challenges.

“We’ve had several severe rain and thunderstorms over the last few months,” he said. “However, the storms haven’t had a major impact on the work site, and we’ve been able to keep progressing the project.”

When the Eastbound H-1 Improvements project is completed, the driving public will have smoother transport and will see the end of lengthy backups. Eliminating the merge and raising the overpass will make it easier and safer to navigate the area.

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• Owner: Hawaii Department of Transportation
• General Contractor: Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Designer: Jacobs Engineering Group, Dallas, Texas