For more than four years, drivers endured a bumpy ride along Kamehameha Highway through Pearl City and Aiea as the road was dug up and shifted for rail.

Now relief is on the way.

Phase 1 of HART’s Kamehameha Highway resurfacing and roadway reconstruction/improvement project begins Tuesday night. It encompasses the stretch of highway between Kuala Street near Pearl Highlands Center and Kuleana Road fronting HECO’s Waiau power plant.

Work will run approximately through the end of the year with multiple crews on an accelerated six-day Sunday through Friday schedule. Paving and milling will take place during overnight shifts from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Construction includes pavement resurfacing with full-depth reconstruction, cold planing (the surface removal of a paved area in preparation for repaving), repaving, installation of pavement markings and striping, roadway signs, curb ramps, drainage, traffic signal loop detectors, retaining walls, fencing and bus shelters.

HART announced last month that it awarded the new resurfacing contract to Road and Highway Builders for nearly $26 million.

“For Phase 1, it’ll be primarily just resurfacing the roadway. We’ll be doing some deeper reconstruction work to increase the pavement section in some of these failing areas,” said Matt Mooney with RHB. “We’ll kind of be seen a couple times in a few locations where we’re doing those deeper areas, but for the most part, we’ll be coming through in one pass.”

Phase 2 of the project will run from the Waiau power plant toward Aloha Stadium and is scheduled to begin early next year, with completion anticipated for some time in the fall.

The work will bring long-awaited relief for area residents and businesses.

“I’m here at Lex Brodie’s getting my car realigned again,” said Aiea resident Glenn Okihiro. “There’s some potholes, so it’s hard to tell how deep the potholes you’re driving in, and then all of a sudden, ugh. There goes the alignment.”

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