The H-1 Freeway Shoulder Widening and Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation project in Hawaii concluded work this week, fully reopening the busiest road in the state months ahead of schedule.
The old, degrading pavement was replaced with new precast concrete pavement in both directions of the freeway, which links Hawaii’s Pearl City and Halawa. Its eastbound shoulder lane was widened and will now serve alternatively as a safety area for morning contraflow operations and a shoulder lane for additional capacity. Additionally, upgrades were made to the highway’s lighting and drainage system.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) broke ground on the project back in May 2018 and invested $68 million into work efforts.
“Commuters may remember the bumpy sections of asphalt that covered uneven areas of the freeway. Those sections are now gone and replaced with a smooth-riding surface,” Ed Sniffen, Deputy Director of the HDOT Highway Division, said. “The new widened shoulder increases safety and allows greater flexibility to make additional improvements, such as an additional lane, in the future.”
HDOT estimates an average of more than 247,000 vehicles use the H-1 Freeway each day, meaning that most work on it was conducted overnight. Concrete panels were also precast offsite and then placed on the roadway to shorten lane closure times.