An area used by the public for parking on the far side of Kamehameha Highway from Laniakea Beach has reopened following city maintenance and state roadwork, the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks & Recreation announced today.

The space had been closed for about two weeks while state Department of Transportation workers placed barriers and pedestrian crossing and traffic signs, and painted two crosswalks, all with the goal of enhancing pedestrian safety and traffic flow along the historically congested section of road fronting the popular surfing and turtle-watching beach.

In mid-October, city crews conducted minor maintenance on the roadside mauka land, followed by the state roadwork “to facilitate the organized flow of vehicles in and out of the undeveloped area,” DPR said.

The release stressed that vehicles must enter the parking area from the Haleiwa side and exit from the Waimea side.

In addition, left turns are not permitted into or out of the parking area.

Signs warn that vehicles and pedestrians may incur injury due to uneven ground and potholes in the unimproved lot.

The city emphasized that the current situation is just a short term attempt to provide an interim solution to traffic bottlenecks and public safety risks caused by pedestrians darting haphazardly across the highway between the mauka lot and the beach.

The state announced last week it is working on a realignment plan to move the highway mauka along the Laniakea corridor.