Paving work on Waianuenue Avenue to slow Hilo hospital traffic this week

Drivers using Waianuenue Avenue past Hilo Benioff Medical Center are facing a narrow, high-stakes slowdown as pavement overlay work cuts into one of Hilo’s most important access roads. The lane closure lands directly by the hospital’s ambulance entrance and could delay emergency arrivals, routine patient drop-offs, staff commutes, and traffic moving through nearby businesses in the hospital district.

The County of Hawaii Department of Public Works scheduled the work for Monday, May 11, and Tuesday, May 12, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Crews are starting near the ambulance entrance to the emergency room and working down to the area just below the hospital’s upper parking lot. A one-lane traffic closure will be in effect during those hours, and message boards are already up to warn motorists before they reach the work zone.

Public Works is urging drivers to expect delays, use caution and allow extra travel time while the overlay is completed. That advice carries extra weight in this part of Hilo, where Waianuenue Avenue serves not just neighborhood traffic but a steady flow of ambulances, clinic visitors, hospital staff and families moving through East Hawaii’s main medical campus. Even a short closure can ripple through the surrounding blocks, especially during the morning window when appointments, shift changes and emergency runs tend to overlap.

The project also fits into a longer history of debate over how Waiānuenue should function. In July 2022, county committee discussion on the corridor drew testimony from community members and People for Active Transportation Hawaii executive director Jessica Thompson, who pushed for bike lanes and other Complete Streets features. A county financial report separately referenced a Waiānuenue Avenue project from Kaiulani Street to Rainbow Drive that included pavement rehabilitation, sidewalk repairs and better access for pedestrians and bicyclists, underscoring how often the road has been tied to broader transportation concerns.

The timing matters even more because Hilo Benioff Medical Center is expanding. A new 20,000-square-foot clinic building is set to open in June, and a separate 55,000-square-foot building with 55 patient beds is expected to be completed in early 2027. As the campus grows, pressure on Waianuenue Avenue is likely to grow with it, making this week’s repair work part of a larger question about how Hilo keeps its hospital corridor moving safely.