H-1 viaduct work to shut lanes on Sundays
State transportation officials are warning of lane closures on the H-1 freeway in West Oahu over the next three Sundays for roadwork. The work, they say, will involve closures in both directions between the Kaahumanu Street and Managers Drive overpasses. They’ll also require work during day and overnight work. The closures:
» On Sunday three westbound lanes will be closed from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., and two eastbound lanes will close from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
» On March 30 two eastbound lanes will be closed from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
» On April 6 two eastbound lanes will be closed from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
Workers are demolishing and rebuilding sections of the freeway’s concrete deck as part of the state Department of Transportation’s Pearl City Viaduct Repair project. The effort also involves widening the viaduct from the westbound Pearl City onramp to the Waipahu offramp and widening the H-1 west of the H-1/H-2 merge to help ease traffic, according to the DOT.
Visit the project website at www.pmcontraflow.com or call 945-1144.
Fire damages home in Haiku, displacing 2
The Red Cross offered help to two Maui residents after a fire destroyed part of their Haiku home Thursday.
The fire was reported at 4:56 p.m. on Alii Koa Place. The fire, which started on the lanai, consumed about 20 percent of the structure before being brought under control at 5:18 p.m. by Maui firefighters.
No one was home at the time of the fire.
Damage was estimated at $50,000 to the structure and $10,000 to the contents. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Club honors top police and fire personnel
The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaii recognized Sgt. James Correa as Officer of the Year and Capt. Darwin Okinaka as Firefighter of the Year in a dinner ceremony Thursday.
Correa, assigned to the Police Department’s South Hilo District, where he heads the Special Enforcement Unit, was honored for leading a team of officers in capturing two prisoners who escaped Dec. 5, 2012, from Hawaii Community Correctional Center after overpowering and assaulting a correctional officer.
Okinaka, in charge of the Training Bureau, was recognized for his leadership, attitude and community service. During the past year he was the core facilitator for a group of 29 firefighter recruits. Okinaka continues to assist with voluntary community service events with the recruits, such as painting the NAS pool parking lot in Hilo and exhibit structures at Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and providing first-aid service at booths at the Muscular Dystrophy walk and American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
