Long-awaited Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway celebrated
Posted on Aug 29, 2018 in Capitol Connection, Featured
State, county and Goodfellow Bros. officials were all smiles at the highway dedication.
Hawai‘i island residents and thousands of visitors to the Kona coast have reason to celebrate with the dedication of the newly widened stretch of Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway — a project years in the making. The now four-lane scenic highway runs between Kealakehe Parkway and Keahole Airport Road.
“The widening of the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway has been a top priority ever since we broke ground three years ago,” said Governor Ige. “The highway is the lifeline to some of the best Hawai‘i has to offer. I am grateful to the project team for overcoming the challenges and to Kona residents and business owners for their patience and support.”
The Phase 2 design-build project by Goodfellow Bros. resulted in six new signalized intersections, drainage systems, utility relocations and safety features such as guardrails and medians with a‘a lava rock for low maintenance and to discourage motorists from trying to cut across the road. Total project cost is about $121 million. Goodfellow vice president Ed Brown said more than 210,000 hours of labor went into the project and noted that all workers, including construction crews, came from Hawai‘i island.