Pearl City commuters will face more lane closures in coming weeks but they will have a smoother surface to drive on before the holidays.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation officials announced Tuesday the launch of Phase 1 of a road improvement project, which includes the resurfacing of Kamehameha Highway from Pearl Highlands Center to the Hawaiian Electric Company’s Waiau power plant, in addition to an improved median strip.

Repaving of the highway began Tuesday night, and is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, just in time for the holidays, according to Matt Mooney, business manager of Road and Highway Builders LLC, which was awarded the $26 million contract.

Major construction will take place mostly at night, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Friday.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said City Councilman Brandon Elefante, who represents the area, and counts himself among those who commute along the Kamehameha Highway corridor. “The community’s been patiently waiting for this portion to be repaved so we’re very excited. This is something that has been long awaited, not just for the commuters of this corridor but more importantly, for the businesses and the residents.”

“This is sort of the light at the end of the tunnel we can see,” he added.

HART awarded the $26 million contract for Phase 1 of the Kamehameha Highway resurfacing project to Road and Highway Builders LLC in July. The contract includes pavement resurfacing of the highway, along with road widening, new striping, roadway signs, curb ramps and drainage.

The improvements also include traffic signal loop detectors, retaining walls, fencing and bus shelters. Some of that may take place after Thanksgiving, according to Mooney, but should not be as disruptive to traffic.

Both sides of the highway will still have three lanes when the project is done. During daytime construction, two lanes should remain available, he said.

Phase 2, which begins in January, includes improvements from the Waiau power plant to Aloha Stadium, and is expected to be completed some time next fall, before Thanksgiving.

HART project director Charles “Sam” Carnaggio said the work had originally gone to Kiewit, but was removed from their contract due to some challenges. The bid for the contract was put out again, and awarded to Honolulu-based Road and Highway Builders LLC.

HART expects to build the Waiawa rail station at Pearl Highlands, the Kalauao station at Pearlridge Center and the Halawa at Aloha Stadium.

Most of Farrington Highway in Waipahu, meanwhile, has been resurfaced, according to HART officials, with some more work still being done to re-establish a left-turn lane by Leoku Street.

Elefante said he would be co-sponsoring a town hall meeting 6:30 p.m., Oct. 30, at Pearl Ridge Elementary School, to provide updates on rail.