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Motorists driving in the Wahiawa area are hoping something can be done to prevent the snail’s pace of afternoon traffic trying to get around the closure of the Karsten Thot Bridge for repairs.
Aiea resident Jacob McCord, 22, edged along Whitmore Avenue for 11⁄2 hours Thursday afternoon to travel the two miles just to get to Kamehameha Highway because of a short traffic light and traffic backed up on Kamehameha.
On Thursday the state Department of Transportation began opening a southbound lane on the 80-year-old bridge for the morning rush hour during its repair, which began Monday.
"Somehow doing that alleviated the traffic," he said. "But now in the afternoons there’s no bridge, so it’s the same thing."
McCord said southbound traffic is bad between 2 and 4 p.m. — around quitting time at Schofield Barracks and at a military installation on Whitmore Avenue.
At at least one traffic light, only four or five cars can get through on the green because the Kamehameha traffic is backed up, McCord said.
"We’ve been getting a lot of complaints," said DOT spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter. "We are well aware of it. Again we appreciate the public’s patience."
Special-duty officers have been starting at 3 p.m. to guide traffic, but beginning today will start at 2 p.m., Sluyter said. The DOT is working with the city to synchronize traffic lights, and the military has adjusted procedures on how to enter the bases.
