HILO — Much to the delight of some Hawaii Island drivers — and to the chagrin of law enforcement — the speed limit on Saddle Road might be raised from 55 mph to 60 mph starting next year.
State Sen. Lorraine Inouye’s Senate Bill 2375, which seeks the speed limit change on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway — commonly called Saddle Road — cleared its final reading Tuesday and is awaiting approval by Gov. David Ige.
The bill calls for the 60 mph limit to start at mile marker 12. It excludes a stretch of road starting at the Pohakuloa Training Area and ending a half-mile east of the Mauna Kea Recreation Area, where the limit will be 45 mph.
If signed by the governor, the measure would take effect Jan. 1, which would give construction projects underway on the east side of the road time to wrap up. Inouye said Wednesday “no money is involved” in the speed change.
“I’m really happy (it passed) on the first try, so that’s pretty good,” she said. “Sometimes, they don’t pass (right away) and you have to try every year. I’m very, very pleased.”
Inouye proposed the measure in February as a way to help Big Island drivers who’ve complained the road is a “speed trap.” The Hawaii Police Department issued 2,219 speeding citations on the road last year, nearly 700 more than in 2014.
Inouye initially proposed increasing the speed limit to 65 mph, which would have made the Saddle the highest-speed road in the state. Hawaii’s highest-speed roads are on Oahu and feature 60 mph limits.
The idea garnered mostly support from community members but had strong opposition from law enforcement. Police Chief Harry Kubojiri submitted testimony opposing the measure, citing concerns about “heavy fog,” “wild animals” and “very steep grades in certain areas” of the road.
Police told the Tribune-Herald on Wednesday the department’s concerns remain the same, even though the initial proposed increase has since been lowered.
“That was our argument and continues to be that,” Sgt. Robert Pauole said. “Our response is that we will continue to aggressively enforce speed on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway.”
“In my opinion, 55 is appropriate,” added Sgt. Christopher Gali, noting he’s encountered out-of-the-blue wildlife on the road himself. “When you increase the speed, it’s just going to encourage (drivers) to go faster, and that contributes to more crashes which results in injuries and fatalities … the speed is 55, and we have people up there going in the 80s, 90s and even 100s.
“The police department’s job is safety,” he continued. “I’m not sure what 5 miles per hour is going to do. It’s not going to get you faster from point A to point B. We always see people who pass you and … the next thing you know, you’ve caught up to them.”
The Saddle was once considered dangerous because of its narrow lanes and poor paving, but it’s been improved in problem areas thanks to a series of realignment projects, according to a House committee report. It’s now the fastest way to travel between East and West Hawaii.
Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara said Wednesday roughly 2,700 vehicles traverse the Saddle each day at mile marker 19. Counts vary in other areas. About 4,200 vehicles drive past mile marker 33 each day near the Pohakuloa Training Area.
Sakahara said the department will add the speed change to its list of DOT priority projects and plans to conduct studies on the road where needed and produce new signs. Generally, the switch-over takes a few months once the project has been scheduled on the priority list, he said.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.