Question: What are they doing in the Wilson Tunnel? How long will this work take?
Answer: Emergency repairs began this week to replace eight stainless steel rods that help support the tunnel ceiling and did not pass a routine tunnel inspection, the state Department of Transportation said Monday in a news release. The department should have a better idea on Friday about how long the repairs will take, after completing additional inspections, spokeswoman Shelly Kunishige said in an email.
The Honolulu-bound left lane of Likelike Highway through the Wilson Tunnel will be closed for the duration of the project, which began Monday night. Motorists should drive cautiously and be prepared to slow down below the 35 mph posted speed limit during active construction.
Similar repairs in 2015 in different sections of the tunnel took about six weeks, according to a news release at the time. That work involved 30 rods, 28 in the Honolulu-bound direction and two in the Kaneohe-bound direction. There are more than 350 rods in each direction of the tunnel, the DOT said.
Q: We did not get our motor vehicle registration renewal reminders in the mail, as we usually do in November every year. We just realized we didn’t get them, and now both have lapsed. They’re only about two weeks overdue. Can we still use the machine at Safeway to renew?
A: Yes, motor vehicle registration can be renewed at a Hawaii DMV Now kiosk, inside certain Safeway and Foodland stores, up to 10 months after the expiration date, according to Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Services. There will be a $16 late fee, it says.
You’ll have to manually enter your license plate number, since you don’t have your renewal notice to scan at the kiosk. Kiosk users can pay with a credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard or Discover) and print out the registration and emblem at the kiosk, the department says. A 2.5% credit/debit card fee and $3 convenience fee will apply.
If you’d prefer to pay by check and avoid the credit/debit and convenience fees, you can handle this transaction at the express window of any Oahu satellite city hall; no appointment is necessary for uncomplicated motor vehicle renewals. The late fee would still apply.
Auwe
A big auwe to the delivery drivers or mail carriers who leave items on the ground outside homes without ringing doorbells or knocking on doors to let residents know that they have a delivery. While some do toot their horns, ring doorbells or knock, some do not. With frequent news on TV about porch pirates stealing packages left outside, the delivery person might still leave the items and go on. If they can walk to the house to leave the item, why can’t they ring the doorbell or knock? Sometimes just by chance we go outside and find an item on the ground. One time, our daughter was driving out of the garage and saw a large box in plain sight by the wall and brought it in. It would have been easy for a thief to jump out of a car and take it without us knowing. I’ve sent letters of complaint to the companies that leave items without notifying us. I hope others send letters of complaint if this happens to them. — Unhappy customer
Mahalo
A heartfelt and big mahalo to Nathan in Manoa. I couldn’t get my car started Friday morning. So as we were struggling to push our car to properly park it, he was kind enough to stop his car and offer his help, which we gratefully accepted. It saved me a lot of pushing. May Nathan and his family have a wonderful, safe and joyous holiday season. — Mahalo, Andy
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
