Congressman Mark Takai Seeks $100 Million to Improve Farrington Hwy and Kamehameha Hwy

Photo of Congressman Mark Takai (HI-01) speaking to reporters during the press conference held today in regards to the letter sent to the Federal Highway Administration.

Honolulu 31 Aug. 2015 – Today, alongside busy Kamehameha Highway in Pearl City, Congressman Mark Takai (HI-01) announced that he has sent a letter to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) requesting that the FHA grant the State of Hawaii permission to use federal Highway Trust Funds for ongoing and upcoming rehabilitation projects for Farrington Highway in Waipahu, and Kamehameha Highway in Aiea/Pearl City.

The State of Hawaii has accumulated a backlog of federal Highway Trust Funds over the last few years, which if remained unspent, will threaten its ability to receive Trust Funds in the future.

“When I first learned of the State’s backlog of federal Highway Trust Funds, I was absolutely shocked. I could not believe that the State was so far behind in using these valuable dollars for much needed road repairs and improvements” Takai said.

“But earlier this year, at the invitation of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, I was able to meet with local and regional officials of the Federal Highway Administration and the State Department of Transportation, and I was happy to hear that the State, in collaboration with FHA, has begun to address this backlog and have made improvements internally to speed up the process of getting more projects qualified and approved,” Takai continued.

From a high of approximately $950 million in unspent Highway Trust Fund dollars at the end of 2014, the State of Hawaii has reduced that backlog by over $200 million since the beginning of this year.