Community Planning & Engineering
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PRESS RELEASES
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Weekly Report for the City's Traffic Management Program
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Weekly Report for the City's Traffic Management Program
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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer
Posted on: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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Stimulus funds go to sewer project The good news is that federal stimulus dollars are helping to foot a share of a major sewer line replacement project in Waimalu.The bad news is the project will likely cause at least some traffic headaches for Pearl City-'Aiea commuters over the next 27 months. The city obtained $7,438,075 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health that will go toward the $45 million project, which began recently and is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2011. Mayor Mufi Hannemann said the city would have proceeded with the project along the same timetable anyway, but said the federal contribution will free up money for other infrastructure projects. Thomas Arizumi, chief of the Health Department's Environmental Management Division, said the project is the first wastewater project in the state to use federal stimulus money. About 5,820 linear feet of defective sewer lines are being replaced. An additional 630 linear feet of new sewer line will also be installed, including a line crossing beneath Kamehameha Highway using a trenchless, micro-tunneling method. Craig Nishimura, city director of design and construction, acknowledged that the project will affect traffic. But micro-tunneling beneath the busy section of Kamehameha Highway fronting Waimalu Shopping Center should minimize disruption there, Nishimura said. "We would like to ask the public to be patient with us," he said. The affected area is immediately mauka of Waimalu Shopping Center. Affected streets include Hekaha, Kanuku, Pahemo and Lokowai streets, 'Olepe Loop and Li'i Ipo Street. State Rep. K. Mark Takai, D-34th (Newton, Waiau, Pearl City), said he drives along that route from his Newtown home to get to H-1 Freeway. Many of the area's pipes are more than 50 years old and are in poor condition because of ground settlement problems. Nishimura and several area politicians said the Waimalu Tract neighborhood has been vulnerable to flooding during heavy rains. "A lot of the pipes have been sinking, a lot of the pipes have cracked. There's a lot of water infiltrating into the system, which has been causing sewer spills every time it rains," Nishimura said. "This project will be replacing a lot of those lines with better pipe material." |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 13, 2009
CITY TO RECEIVE $7.4 MILLION IN STIMULUS MONEY FOR SEWER WORK (Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009) - The City and County of Honolulu will receive $7.4 million in federal stimulus money for wastewater infrastructure improvements."We're very grateful to President Obama and Hawaii's Congressional delegation for supporting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help stimulate our economy and invest in our infrastructure," Mayor Mufi Hannemann said. "This one appropriation will support 35 jobs while enabling the City to make more progress in fixing our sewers." The money is earmarked for the Waimalu Sewer Rehabilitation/Reconstruction, Phase I. This project involves installing new high-density polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride pipes to replace sagging lines in the collection system caused by long-term soil settlement. It will offer more protection against infiltration of rainwater and help prevent spills. Approximately 5,820 linear feet of sewer lines will be replaced by open-cut trenching and another 630 linear feet by trenchless microtunneling. The work takes place on Kanuku, Pahemo, Lokowai and Lii-ipo streets, along with Olepe Loop. These lines flow to the Waimalu Wastewater Pump Station, which feeds the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant. Phase I of the Waimalu project was awarded to Frank Coluccio Construction Company and is estimated to take 820 days. The federal stimulus money covers a portion of the $45 million project. The state Department of Health is managing the ARRA funds as part of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The director of DOH has authorized zero interest and zero loan fee loans with principal forgiveness of the entire loan amount for ARRA funds. Additional funds from the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund may also become available for the Waimalu project in the form of a loan with a favorable interest rate. The $7.4 million to the City and County of Honolulu is one-quarter of the total stimulus money divided amongst the four counties for various wastewater projects. Approximately 120 projects are underway on Oahu in August, focused on wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, and the collection system. These projects are part of $516 million of ongoing wastewater projects that include planning, designing, construction, project management and equipment project phases. Contact: Bill Brennan, City Press Secretary, 768-6928 Markus Owens, ENV Public Communications Officer, 768-3454 |
Legal Notice published in the Honolulu Advertiser
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NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT OF The project will include the replacement / rehabilitation of approximately 6200 feet of sewer pipe by traditional open trench excavation, microtunneling and slip line methods. The work will affect various streets throughout the Waimalu area at different stages of the project. Work hours for the majority of the project are anticipated to be accomplished between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays. Hours of work during this time frame may vary dependent upon the type of work being performed. Please drive with caution through the construction areas and obey all traffic signs. Be prepared to take alternate routes and expect potential traffic delays during the construction. For more information call Frank Coluccio Construction Company at 589-1622. |