Kamehameha Highway Rehabilitation to begin work fronting Waimea Bay, Monday, July 21

HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) is providing this update on the Joseph P. Leong Highway and Kamehameha Highway Rehabilitation – From Waimea Bay Beach Park to ʻŌpaeʻula Stream Bridge. 

HDOT has received complaints from members of the surrounding community frustrated by the traffic from this project and suggesting night work options. This is legally not an option for this turtle nesting season (May to September) or the seabird fallout season (September to December). HDOT is seeking a formal consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) for the 2026 season, if needed.   

This project will continue with daytime hours to complete the project by its estimated completion date of December 2025. To better optimize productivity and take advantage of lower vehicle volumes during summer, daily work hours were adjusted to start earlier, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 7. Work will switch back to the 8:30 a.m. start of lane closure when students return to school on Monday, August 4. 

Crews are currently repaving from the Hale‘iwa Town intersection toward Laniākea Beach Park. This section is anticipated to be completed by Friday, July 18, weather permitting. The work zone will then move toward the section of the highway fronting the entrance to Waimea Bay beginning Monday, July 21. Police officers will be on-site to control access to the Waimea Bay Beach Park parking lot at the park gate. Motorists may be turned away at the gate if the parking lot becomes full.    

To date, the contractor has completed paving sections on Joseph P. Leong/Kamehameha Highway between ʻŌpaeʻula Stream Bridge Hale‘iwa Town intersection and from Waimea Valley Road toward Kapuhi Street. Temporary striping has been applied, and permanent striping work will be announced when it has been scheduled.   

Crews will continue monitoring traffic conditions and will suspend daytime work if impacts of this work are untenable for the community. Typical delays through the work zone have been averaging 15-25 minutes. Should the delays begin to extend to the 40-minute range, HDOT will revisit postponing the project until we can legally resume night work in January 2026.    

HDOT will continue to post updates on the Joseph P. Leong Highway and Kamehameha Highway Rehabilitation – From Waimea Bay Beach Park to ʻŌpaeʻula Stream Bridge through public notices.   

Sign up for HDOT’s notices can be accessed through https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/hidot/subscriber/new  

To view the weekly roadwork list for Oʻahu, please visit: https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork/oahu/.  

 

 

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