Honolulu rail officials are now wrestling with what they’ve said all along is the most difficult part of the $9.2 billion, East Kapolei-to-Ala Moana mass transit project: the relocation of a multitude of utility lines along the congested and key commuting corridor known as Dillingham before actual rail construction begins.

Andrew Robbins, executive director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, on Thursday promised the HART board’s Project Oversight Committee that his staff is working on a revised plan and is aiming to pre­sent it to the committee at its next meeting in two weeks.

“We’re just about final or near final with our construction plans,” Robbins said.

Work under an existing plan has been moving slowly, and “we’d be behind schedule.” The goal of the not-yet-public new plan “is to get in and out of Dillingham in under two years,” he said. “That’s actually more than a year faster than the prior plan.”

That would involve adding more work shifts to accelerate the work, he said. It’s a complex issue, and HART recognizes that the expedited work schedule would need to take into consideration that 24-hour access be available for area businesses and residents, pedestrians and TheBus, he said. “That’s completely understood.”

There’s also the issue of whether trenching or a more “direct pipe” micro-tunneling method of reinstalling underground utilities is more feasible. “I think the answer is going to be some kind of combination of trenching and pipe,” Robbins said.

But both Mayor Kirk Caldwell and area Councilman Joey Manahan voiced frustration at a lack of information that’s been available to them and the public so far on the utilities relocation issue. The two, as well as other stakeholders, met with Robbins and other HART officials earlier this month and went away unhappy.

Caldwell made a rare appearance before the HART committee Thursday to express his displeasure.

“The discussion we’re having today, that you’re presenting today, should have been presented a year and a half ago,” Caldwell said. That’s when Nan Inc., the contractor for the relocation project, was selected and given a notice to proceed, he said. “I’m upset … and that’s why I’m asking you guys as board members to make sure that you’re on HART’s ass to make sure that they are doing what they need to do in a timely manner.”

The latest City Center Utilities Relocation project actually involves the final, 4.2-mile stretch between Middle Street and Ala Moana Center, the end point of the 20-mile guideway.

HART officials, as well as Caldwell, want to accelerate completion of the utilities relocation planning phase to allow a planned private partner to get a better gauge of its own costs and then be able to start construction immediately if selected. John Moore, HART East Area construction manager, said work by contractor Nan Inc. on the existing project has been ongoing.

Caldwell said work needs to be done more quickly to provide potential partners the information they need to determine their financing while at the same time ensuring there is not major disruption to community residents and businesses.

“If (the private partners) don’t have access to the road because we haven’t relocated utilities, there’s going to be delay,” Caldwell said. “And with delay comes change orders and additional costs.”

Several Project Oversight Committee members also voiced concerns. Committee Chairman Glenn Nohara pointed out that the agency is expanding Dillingham on the makai side by 10 feet to make way for the guideway that’s to run down the median of the road.

Nohara said based on his own survey, Dillingham relocation involves the moving of 15-, 18-, 30- and 48-inch drain lines; a 4-by-3-foot boxed culvert; gas lines; and 12-, 24- and 42-inch water lines — all along the roadway. “Then on the sidewalk, we have existing traffic signal, telephone and cable TV cables,” he said. “Then, on the mauka side we’ve got the 138 kV (kilovolt) and 46 kV overhead. And from Kokea Street to Iwilei station, we have 138 kV on the makai side. And that’s what we’re dealing with.”

“Dillingham is a challenge,” Moore said. “We’re working it in sections.”

Moore and Robbins said their goal is to clear utility line relocation on about 4,000 feet on either end of the Middle Street-Ala Moana segment soon, providing the private-partner contractor to begin work right away.

“That’ll be ready by the time the P3 is on board,” Moore said.

Committee member Hoyt Zia said while he appreciates the challenges faced by staff, “people want to know, especially people whose businesses are on Dillingham.”

Robbins said much of the utilities relocation work in parts of the city center outside of Dillingham has been done. “We can be ahead of the guideways and stations contract once that starts next year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Manahan this week introduced Resolution 19-234, which calls on HART to develop a plan to mitigate impacts on the community and keep the public informed about project developments.

Manahan told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he’s bothered HART has not reached agreements with each of the utility companies on relocation at this point.

In other HART news, the board elected Tobias “Toby” Martyn, a financial investment adviser, as its new chairman. He succeeds longtime Chairman Damien Kim, whose term is up but who has agreed to stay on until a replacement is made by the Council. Terrance Lee was reelected vice chairman.