All lanes of eastbound Nimitz Highway at the Bishop Street intersection will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, until 4 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 20.
In an announcement Tuesday, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation — the public transit authority leading the planning and construction of the Skyline rail transit system for the City and County of Honolulu – said that roadway will be closed to install a traffic signal mast arm pole as part of ongoing road improvements.
Drivers headed east will be detoured at Bethel Street or at Bishop Street toward Aloha Tower Drive to continue east.
Special duty officers will be on site to assist motorists and pedestrians near the work area, HART says, but alternate routes, including King Street, are recommended for those traveling eastbound.
Access will be maintained for residents and businesses.
ICYMI, HART announced last month that, among other closures and detours, one lane of eastbound and westbound Nimitz Highway between ‘Awa and Bishop streets will be closed 24/7 through September 2030, for the duration of the City Center Guideway and Stations project.
Ground broke last month at the future site of the Ka‘ākaukukui, or Civic Center, station in Kaka‘ako for the next phase of the project, the city center guideway and stations.
The CCGS project includes the construction of nearly three miles of elevated guideway and six rail stations, starting near the Kahauiki, or Middle Street Transit Center, station and ending at the Civic Center station, just east of the intersection of Halekauwila and South streets, an announcement from HART noted at that time. Construction is expected to be finished by 2030.
HART awarded a $1.66 billion contract for the design and construction of the CCGS project to Tutor Perini Corp. in August 2024.
Utility work for this third segment of the rail has been underway for the last two years, but HART Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina told ASD last month that the hope is that the utilities are expected to be finished in the Downtown Honolulu area by the end of the year and the Dillingham corridor by next summer.
The first segment of the rail opened in June 2023 and spans just under 11 miles from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium. This section includes the rail's first nine stations: Kaualakaʻi (East Kapolei), Keoneʻae (University of Hawai‘i-West Oʻahu), Honouliuli (Hoʻopili), Hōʻaeʻae (West Loch), Pouhala (Waipahu Transit Center), Hālaulani (Leeward Community College), Waiawa (Pearl Highlands), Kalauao (Pearlridge), and Hālawa (Aloha Stadium).
The second section, running 5.2 miles from Aloha Stadium to the Middle Street Transit Center, is expected to open in October.
This portion will add four more stations to the route: Pearl Harbor, the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Lagoon Drive and Middle Street.
You can sign up for HART's weekly email blast for more information about the ongoing project.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
