Paving starts on Haihai Street in Hilo, lane closures through May 8

Drivers on Haihai Street in Hilo faced lane closures and temporary traffic changes as the County of Hawaii began paving about 2.5 miles of roadway between Kīlauea Avenue and Kupulau Road. The work started Monday, April 20, and is scheduled to continue through May 8, with county crews on the road from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, weather permitting.

The County of Hawaii Department of Public Works said motorists should plan for delays, allow extra travel time, follow posted signs and flaggers, and use alternate routes if possible. The project is being done in phases, with closures scheduled first from Kīlauea Avenue to Laula Road from April 20 through April 23, then Laula Road to Maunakai Street from April 24 through April 29, Maunakai Street to Ainaola Drive from April 30 through May 5, and Ainaola Drive to Kupulau Road from May 6 through May 8.

The stretch matters because Haihai Street is one of the major collector streets in the Waiakea Homesteads area, serving the mauka side of South Hilo. That makes the paving more than a routine maintenance job for nearby neighborhoods and for traffic moving between Kīlauea Avenue, Ainaola Drive and the rest of the corridor.

The road also sits near another long-range county planning effort. The County of Hawaii Office of Housing and Community Development has identified a proposed Haihai Street workforce housing project on about 30 acres across from Hilo Municipal Golf Course. The concept is envisioned to provide both homeownership and rental opportunities for households earning up to 140% of Area Median Income.

County records show Haihai Street has been part of public planning for decades. On January 2, 1976, the Planning Director approved a 20-foot road widening project along Haihai Street, a sign of how long the corridor has been viewed as important to circulation and traffic safety in Waiakea Homesteads.

The county thanked the public for patience and cooperation during the project. For now, the practical advice is straightforward: expect lane shifts, build in extra time, and plan around the phased closures as paving moves down the corridor through early May.