HILO — A long-awaited Daniel K. Inouye Highway widening and realignment project is complete.
State and government officials are holding a dedication ceremony today to celebrate the opening of the final phase of reconstruction on the east side of the highway, also known as Saddle Road.
Gov. David Ige, Mayor Harry Kim, Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono and officials from the Federal Highway Administration are among those scheduled to attend.
The project connects the existing highway near milepost 11 to the west end of the Puainako extension.
It was previously scheduled to be finished in August. That completion was pushed back due to “various challenges,” state Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara said Monday, which included containment and treatment of cleared ohia trees to prevent the spread of rapid ohia death and additional drainage work.
The extension is first new leg of the highway since a new connection was made with Mamalahoa Highway on the west side in September 2013.
“This is reconstructing part of the original Saddle Road, but it’s also creating three additional new miles of the highway,” Sakahara said. “So this is essentially the final phase of the entire Daniel K. Inouye Highway/Saddle Road rehabilitation.”
Sakahara said the new portion of highway will be open starting this afternoon.