Potential Extension to Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road

Updated 8/29/15, 8/30/15
Extending the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road (WCEAR)

At a meeting on 8/27/15, some Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead residents indicated support to extend WCEAR through DHHL lands, ie, from Helelua St. to Piliokahi Ave. (Please see the rough map, below).  This extension would help to bypass future emergencies like the recent water main break.

I need more feedback regarding this potential extension from the community, so feel free to share your thoughts and comments in response to this post.

The meeting prompted me to ask the City whether this extension could be incorporated into the WCEAR Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).  I also asked the City several other questions about WCEAR that were raised at the meeting, as follows:

1) WCEAR Bridge in Nanakuli: I continue to get requests from constituents to open this bridge for pedestrians.  A Nanakuli resident  said his wife is in a wheelchair, and that it would help tremendously if they could use the bridge to get to the beach & park. Others say their children would use it to bike across, walk to school, etc.

2) “Declared Emergencies”- Residents are urging the City to broaden the times when WCEAR can be used.  Specifically, they want “declared emergencies” to include: lane closures for any reason, impending storms or other bad weather (ie, open WCEAR before the storm hits), and other incidents that significantly impact traffic.

3) Signage- The WCEAR signage needs to be improved, to include signs on Farrington Hwy indicating where to turn off, as well as signs on the back roads directing drivers to where the routes are.

4) Condemning Private Portions of WCEAR- Many constituents support making the private portions of WCEAR public and accessible for day to day travel, eg, the gated portion of Paakea Rd, Etc.

I will be working with William Aila, Jr., DHHL’s Deputy Director, to inquire with affected leassees about the potential WCEAR extension through DHHL lands.  I will keep you posted about our progress and welcome your feedback and support.

At a meeting on 8/27/15, some Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead residents indicated support to extend WCEAR through DHHL lands, ie, from Helelua St. to Piliokahi Ave. (Please see the rough map, below). This extension would help to bypass future emergencies like the recent water main break. L-R: Geanine Kahalewai, Rachael Conner, Rep. Jo Jordan, Josiah Hoohuli, Stacelynn Eli, Demont Conner, Sen. Maile Shimabukuro, William Aila Jr. (DHHL Deputy Director), Mervina Cash-Kaeo, Patty Teruya, Kapiolani Barber, Larie Manutai (representing Rep. Andria Tupola), and Richard Landford.

Potential extensions to the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road are in yellow and red. Yellow indicates areas which are not currently through streets, ie, the top yellow area goes through the Door of Faith Church’s property, and the bottom yellow area includes a locked gate on St. Rita’s Church’s property, and a bridge that needs to be built over the stream at Nanakuli Ranch.

Related articles:

Kolekole Pass and Emergency Bypass Update (8/3/15)
Star-Advertiser 8/3/15: Highway Widening on Wai’anae Coast (8/3/15)
KITV4: ‘Nanakuli Water Main Break Leads to New Calls for Bypass Road’ (7/30/15)
Farrington Highway Update: Lanes Reopened (7/27/15)
Water Main Break Update: Sen. Shimabukuro is Asking – Do You Support Making Portions of WCEAR Public & Connecting Piliokahi Ave. to Helelua St. to Bypass Emergencies Like This in the Future? (7/26/15)
Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road (WCEAR) Open (7/26/15)
7/26/15, Congestion, Mā’ili Point to Helelua Street (7/26/15)
Town Hall Meeting 7/16/15: Westside Traffic Solutions (7/17/15)
Mauka Highway & Kolekole Pass Studies (7/15/15)
Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road (WCEAR) Update (4/22/15)
Senator Shimabukuro Meets with Mayor Caldwell (4/8/15)
Kolekole Pass Update from US Navy (7/17/14)
Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board Special Meeting Agenda: Tuesday May 21, 2013 (5/14/13)
Transportation Update: 2nd Access Road (1/1/12)
Land Use Commission denies industrial park petition (6/3/11)
Kolekole Pass Update (4/14/11)
WAI`ANAE COAST TRAFFIC UPDATE from the State Department of Transportation (2/16/11)
BWS to open Emergency Access Bridge on a trial basis (10/9/09)
Wai`anae Coast Emergency Access Route (1/2/09)
Transportation Update Re: Emergency Access Road and Alternate Route (4/19/08)
Hearing April 2: Emergency Access Route (3/30/08)
Opinion: A Different Route for the Alternate Road (2/23/08)