Improvements to Volcano Road Aim to Increase Safety

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation’s Highways Division plans to improve Volcano Road at the Kipimana Street Intersection that serves the Shipman Industrial Park, near milepost 6.

The work includes installation of a temporary traffic signal system using a “Green T-Intersection” design that will control access and egress from Shipman Industrial Park, while allowing the northbound traffic traveling toward Hilo to proceed without a stop condition.

While the primary purpose is to assist motorists in safely crossing the southbound lanes, improvements at this intersection will also benefit cyclists, pedestrians and marathoners who share the shoulder highway space.

“I want to thank the State Highways Division for being proactive and devising a plan to make this intersection safer and more efficient,” Sen. Lorraine Inouye said. “We have seen an increase in activity in the area because of growing community interest in health and fitness. This shows that we can and will design our roadways to benefit the entire community.”

The Green T-Intersection involves physically separating the Volcano Road’s northbound turning lanes from the through traffic by use of raised curbs with delineators. The southbound Volcano Road lanes, and traffic entering and exiting Shipman Industrial Park will be subject to traffic signal patterns.

Work is expected to begin in November 2019 and last for a period of six months. During construction, motorists may experience delays during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. due to one lane closures and police-controlled intersection movements. Motorists are asked to exercise extreme caution in the area and to be aware of variable message boards that will be used to notify motorists of traffic conditions during construction. Future updates can be found online.