KAILUA-KONA — Kahilihili Road, which will provide a means for motorists to make left turns in to and out of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, opened Tuesday. ADVERTISING KAILUA-KONA — Kahilihili Road, which will provide a means for
KAILUA-KONA — Kahilihili Road, which will provide a means for motorists to make left turns in to and out of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, opened Tuesday.
The 0.67-mile frontage road and extension of Kaiminani Drive, built by Isemoto Contracting Co., came in under budget and was finished ahead of schedule, according to NELHA Executive Director Greg Barbour. He said that the contractor had planned to complete the road in November and that the project came in about 10 percent under the $9.6 million appropriated for the project.
The road also opens up 80 acres of NELHA’s land for development, including water well exploration.
Motorists will now be able to access NELHA, also known as the Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology (HOST) Park, and Makako Bay Drive at the highway’s signalized intersection with Kaiminani Drive. Left turns are now possible from the highway onto the frontage road and from the frontage road heading north on Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
Left-turns onto Makako Bay Drive are still not permitted at its intersection with Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
The existing mauka portion of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway between Keahole Airport Road and Hulikoa Drive remains closed between Hina Lani Street and a point north of Keahole Airport Road. Traffic is being routed to the new makai portion of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
