Archaeology survey delays Mamalahoa bypass work

The Mamalahoa Highway bypass extension hit a snag.

The Mamalahoa Highway bypass extension hit a snag.

Construction that the Hawaii County Department of Public Works hoped to start in August has been delayed likely until next month while the department waits for an archaeological study to be reviewed.

The State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources requested more study of potential historic structures at the intersection of Napoopoo Road and Highway 11. The division is reviewing a supplemental archaeological inventory survey, Public Works Director Warren Lee said.

“We are waiting for a notice to proceed,” he said.

Public Works broke ground in July on the extension, planning to begin work immediately on the road. The department bid the project as two contracts, a 2.2-mile, $14.8 million extension of the highway from Halekii Street to the intersection of Napoopoo Road, and a reconstruction of the intersection for $13.1 million. The intersection work was slated to begin later this year, in part so that fill from the alignment project could be used at the intersection, which will have traffic signals and turn lanes. The construction will shift the intersection slightly south of its current position and will require the building of a retaining wall.

Public Works had assumed the Preservation Division would allow roadwork to begin, but the survey ended up delaying both parts of the project.

“We didn’t think (the two portions of the project) would be linked,” said Lee, who hoped to get work started in early November.

The $27.9 million project is scheduled to be completed in 2016 and is designed to ease congestion on Highway 11, offering quicker access to Alii Drive for commuters who live to the south.

Email Bret Yager at byager@westhawaiitoday.com.