Opinion: Māmalahoa Highway Widening Project Needs Addition

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“The travel lanes between Pu‘u Nani Drive and Lakeland won’t be resurfaced as a part of the current Māmalahoa Highway widening project. There is apparently no political will by the current administration to execute a change order adding this work. DPW wants to simply complete this project as soon as possible, even if the project won’t be finished 100%.

As it stands now, this segment of highway is badly deteriorating. The next administration will have to wait until late 2021 or early 2022 to resurface the pavement in this area if this work is not added to this current project.

This will leave a black eye on the current administration for being penny wise and pound foolish. Funding this change order shouldn’t be an issue. The county has been assessing the residents of this island GET surcharge for transportation-related projects.

I hope Mayor Kim’s administration will reconsider resurfacing this segment of Māmalahoa Highway.