Po‘ipū Road intersection converted to roundabout, work continues nearby

Traffic at one of South Kaua‘i’s busiest junctions has been redirected into a roundabout, changing how drivers move through the Po‘ipū corridor even as crews keep working around the new circle. The intersection of Po‘ipū Road, Ala Kinoiki and Pe‘e Road was converted April 25, and the county said yield signs are posted at all approaches.

For residents, service workers and visitors headed between Kōloa and Po‘ipū, the shift means slower, more deliberate movement through the corner and a different rhythm at a junction that handles beach traffic, neighborhood traffic and tourist traffic on the same roads. Drivers are being told to treat the site as an active work zone, not a finished project, with electronic message boards and other signs still guiding motorists through the area.

The county’s traffic overhaul is part of the Po‘ipū Road Safety and Mobility Project, which officials say is one of the largest transportation investments ever made in South Kaua‘i, totaling more than $70 million. Funding disclosed by the county includes a $25 million U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant, about $33 million in additional federal funds, $13 million in county funds and $2 million from utility partners.

The corridor project is bigger than the new roundabout at Po‘ipū Road, Ala Kinoiki and Pe‘e Road. County planning documents call for four roundabouts in all, including the mini-roundabout at Po‘ipū Road and Kōloa Road, the existing Ala Kalanikaumaka and Lāwa‘i Road roundabout, and the Kiahuna Plantation Drive and Kiahuna Plantation Resort roundabout. The plan also adds continuous sidewalks on at least one side of Po‘ipū Road, bicycle lanes along most of the route, marked crosswalks at all legs of the roundabouts and new or improved bus stops.

County grant materials show the project was identified in the South Kaua‘i Community Plan and shaped through community outreach years before construction began. The county held a blessing ceremony Oct. 14, 2025, in Kōloa to mark the start of work, and later notices in February and March showed the corridor remained under active construction with closures and traffic controls near the Po‘ipū Road, Ala Kinoiki and Pe‘e Road area.

The safety case for roundabouts is straightforward: they lower speeds, reduce severe conflict points and keep traffic moving through yield control instead of a full stop pattern. That is the model now in place at the new Po‘ipū junction, where the county is betting a more controlled flow will eventually mean fewer crashes and fewer backups during the busiest travel periods. Drivers seeking construction updates can contact the Goodfellow Bros. office at 808-879-5205 as the corridor work continues.