The City Council approved a permit Tuesday allowing the state to proceed on a $15 million project to reconstruct two Makaha Beach bridges along Farrington Highway despite objections from people living closest to the project.
On March 28 a 3-year-old boy was killed and his family members badly injured when a car driven by an alleged drunken driver crashed into the makai-side bus stop between the two bridges.
While no one is suggesting the condition of the bridges contributed to the crash, the state Department of Transportation insists the improvements will make the area safer. Opponents say it will make the situation worse because widened roadways will increase the chance for speeding.
The department said the two timber bridges were built in the 1930s and must be rebuilt because they are deemed structurally deficient, said spokesman Dan Meisenzahl. The state also says the waterways under both bridges would not be able to accommodate a 100-year flood.
Plans call for creating reinforced concrete bridges with lanes that are 12 feet across, a little wider than the present 11 feet. Road shoulders would go to 10 feet, significantly more than the current 3 feet.
Makaha residents, however, said the state’s plan is poorly designed and could increase the potential for flooding and vehicle crashes. It also requires condemning property of three private landowners and the city. They urged the city to hold off approval and are pressing for an environmental impact statement so that deeper issues, such as the source of increased flooding in recent years, can be dealt with.
Brian Takeda, a planner for project manager R.M. Towill, said an environmental assessment concluded that reconstruction would not have any significant effect on the environment.
"I feel like I’ve been run over by a bulldozer," said Moana "Kea" Klausmeyer-Among, whose family property is next to the bridge.
Robert Palmer, who lives across the highway, said he will file a lawsuit against the project if the state proceeds.
The Council voted 7-1 to grant a special management area use permit for the two new bridges. The single "no" vote came from Waianae area Councilman Tom Berg.
After the meeting, Berg said the state should take steps to slow down motorists in the area rather than make improvements that will encourage speeding.
"When you widen this thing with an easement on either side … there’s nothing to stop for."
The Federal Highway Administration is picking up 80 percent of the cost of the project, and the state will pay for the remaining 20 percent.
