Road notes from a Hawaii trip

[MarkF]

I took a trip to Hawaii a few weeks ago, here's some road notes from the trip.

On the Big Island, Saddle Rd HI 200 is being widened between mileposts 11 and 5 near Hilo. This is now the fast route from Kona to Hilo.


On this day, Mauna Loa was in full view.


"Sharks teeth" markings seen near the start of the construction zone.


More construction on HI 200 near Hilo.


In the Kona area, HI 19 is being divided north to the airport.


HI 19 north of Kona.

The back road to Hana, Maui route 31, Piiliani Highway, now has smooth pavement to nearly milepost 32.  It has been progressing east over the years, the smooth pavement ended at milepost 19 in 1998, milepost 25 in 2005, milepost 27 in 2010, and milepost 29 in 2013. 


Hilly section near milepost 17.


Manawainui Valley bridge near milepost 25


Start of the smooth pavement around milepost 32.

Here's a video of the highway from milepost 14 in Ulupalakua to where the smooth pavement ends near milepost 32:
https://youtu.be/gcBzTl_BXNk


New to me was the Lahaina Bypass, HI 3000. Very little traffic on this road.

It has Maui's only interchange, if you don't count the old bridges on Main St in Wailuku.


Graded for a future divided highway.

There was construction work going on for the Oahu light rail project.

This was in the area near the H1/H2 interchange.  I also noticed work on this around Pearl Harbor.


No mention of I-H201 on eastbound I-H1, still shows as HI 78.


Most of the signage on H1 is in Clearview.

Video of I-H1 from near its west end at exit 1, through Honolulu, and into Waikiki:
https://youtu.be/8IowR67e7Qc

Video of HI 72 around the southeast corner of Oahu:
https://youtu.be/wEnCbPiWGhQ

Video of a drive down Waikiki's main street:
https://youtu.be/MTdgkDizg1c

[jeffandnicole]

Great pics.  The Big Island of Hawaii is probably my favorite, because of Volcano National Park.  On my last trip there in 2006 I made it to the top of Mauna Kea.  I noticed the lack of oxygen right away!!

[oscar]

New to me was the Lahaina Bypass, HI 3000. Very little traffic on this road.

Still no direct connection to HI 30 at either end, so until then not very useful as a bypass. The south-end connection is likely to come first, but was there any visible construction there?

Good report overall, especially on the progress to completing the HI 200 upgrade in the Hilo area. But I'll have to wait until I'm home next week before viewing your videos.

[dgolub]

Nice photos!

[MarkF]

New to me was the Lahaina Bypass, HI 3000. Very little traffic on this road.

Still no direct connection to HI 30 at either end, so until then not very useful as a bypass. The south-end connection is likely to come first, but was there any visible construction there?

South of Lahaina there was a big construction project just to the east of HI 30, but it was hard to tell if it was for a new resort or for the bypass.  I don't recall any work being done at either end of the bypass itself.  With its current 35 mph speed limit and the access roads to get to it, I don't know if it is any quicker than staying on HI 30 for now.

Nice view of Lanai from the Lahaina Bypass, looking across the future southbound lanes.

[hm insulators]

Nice pictures and videos! I remember the road around the south shore of Maui; I was on it in 1981. At the time, I was living on Kauai and was a member of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens student program on that island. We students took a trip around the islands, including a one-week visit to a subsidiary NTBG site near Hana to do work there cleaning out the vegetation from around an old heiau (temple).

One week in Hana was at least six-and-a-half days too many! "Nightlife" there consisted of three things: A: sit and watch the cars rust, B: go down to Hasegawa's general store and watch the geckos catch insects flying around the bug light, and C: man's best friend (your right hand).

Have you gone to Kauai yet?

[MarkF]

Have you gone to Kauai yet?

I've been there a couple of times, on day visits.  Here's HI550 coming back from Waimea Canyon, from 2011:


One thing I really remember about Kauai was all the wild chickens everywhere.  And the houses high on stilts around the north end of HI 560 past Princeville.

[noelbotevera]

Looks like there's some missing route on the photo you took of I-H1. What's it supposed to be?

[MarkF]

Looks like there's some missing route on the photo you took of I-H1. What's it supposed to be?

HI 99.  Here's the sign bridge preceding that one: