Posts: 1,455
Threads: 148
Joined: Mar 2010
I wasn't one of the unlucky ones stuck in it, as I went through about 3:00-3:30. I know 2 folks that were stuck in a big traffic mess later in the day. I hear an hour just to get from the Pahoa turnoff to the light at Keauu High School. MY daughter decided to go through the Pahoa turnoff and try going through Keauu back to the highway and home to HPP. Bad choice! It was worse on that route.
Anyone know why the jam? The construction was over for the day by then.
Jon in Keaau/HPP
Jon in Keaau/HPP
Posts: 3,035
Threads: 201
Joined: Aug 2006
On Monday it took me 80+ minutes to get from the intersection with Volcano Highway to past the Humane society, this was at about 6PM. It looked at that point like there had been a wreck, plus several cars were on the side of the road with their hoods up after overheating. Yesterday I cam through about 3:30 or so and it was super slow coming through the merge, there were 3 girls waving signs for Laulau right at the end of the merge in the usual place and I think they were what slowed everything down. There was no sign of a wreck, no cops, and no tow trucks, just laulau sellers messing up everyone's commute. The same thing happens when politicians sign wave, when the huli huli chicken guy or the pizza truck used to set up there.
Carol
edited to fix a silly typo
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Posts: 526
Threads: 11
Joined: Oct 2006
Birdmove, you beat me to this topic. We know we don't get around as much any more and we have avoided as much as possible driving at night for several years now, so we haven't experienced the Kea'au Bypass logjam for quite a while. However, due to an unfortunate late afternoon return flight from HNL yesterday, we were caught in the mess from about 6:00 pm to nearly 7:00 pm, almost an hour to get from the Hwy 11 light to emergence past the Humane Society. We didn't see anything at all as specifically causing the jam except the usual reason: the stop lights.
Sitting there I was wondering why HPP commuters, the folks who do this all the time, aren't after the DOT with hammer and tongs to fix this stupid situation. It didn't take an hour to figure out one fairly obvious method to alleviate the problem. Here it is if anybody is reading this and can do something about it.
For the rush hour period, say 4-7 pm, turn all the Hwy 130 through stop lights to flashing yellow, prohibit all left turns and allow flashing right red arrows only from the Kukula and Old Kea'au Road intersections. No through red lights! Even better, for that period block both roads from emerging on to Hwy 130. Anybody who wants to go north to Hilo or south to Pahoa from within Kea'au simply has to go mauka up Old Kea'au Road and get on to Hwy 11 by the Ace Hardware. Also affected would be left turning people at Milo (near the CU). They would have to turn right and take the left on Hwy 11 and get turned around to go makai to enter 130 at the 11/130 light, but they are likely very few in number.
Blocking roads or directions of use for rush hour and other times happens in many jurisdictions, especially with older infrastructure. Don't know why DOT couldn't do it here. If I was commuting south I would certainly welcome it.
Posts: 2,490
Threads: 222
Joined: Dec 2005
I dunno why the TWO traffic lights set to flashing amber would make much of a difference. Tho, maybe setting them to be green for 3X longer for the heavy flow would be pretty simple. Set them to stay green 3X longer from 5-7 from Monday-Friday ... See if that helps? I don't know how hard it would take to have someone come out and reprogram the lights for rush hour. One would think it could be programmed in less than an hours worth of time...
I have a problem with those lights anyway. Especially the one at the Credit Union. Seems like if anyone wants to make a left crossing 130 I've noticed the light immediately switches. Shouldn't there be a 3-5 minute wait for a few cars to get loaded for a left turn then just turn red slowing down 130 traffic when ever a car at a time wants to make a left? 130 should have priority people turning I would think. Seems to me no one cares about street lights on 130. Tho, the one that controls traffic on 11 to 130 seems to be set pretty good.
Posts: 1,074
Threads: 113
Joined: Sep 2008
I got stuck in it.
My 30 minute round trip to Keaau foodland just took more than an hour.
One Thing I can always be sure of is that things will never go as expected.
Posts: 3,035
Threads: 201
Joined: Aug 2006
Any timed traffic control changes would have to start at 3, the high impact traffic starts then. But when they open up the mauka peek travel lane from Keaau to Shower it will change every thing, for the better we hope.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Posts: 11,006
Threads: 749
Joined: Sep 2012
I don't think the travel lane to Shower Dr will make much difference. Very few cars turn off of the highway between the present merge and the future merge at Shower. The bottleneck will just move a few miles down the road. It won't make any difference until we get an extra lane to Maku'u.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
Posts: 3,035
Threads: 201
Joined: Aug 2006
I think most of HPP will turn off at Shower, so depending on how they design that intersection it could get better, or it could get worse.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Posts: 907
Threads: 12
Joined: Apr 2012
here's my take on it - and i've thought about it a lot.
the bottleneck is caused by 3 lanes of traffic (2 from hwy 130 and 1 from the intersection by the high school) getting squeezed into 1 (by the humane society). the traffic lights on hwy 130 between hwy 11 and the humane society aren't really causing any problems.
the proposed widening of the road will only do one thing - it will change the bottle neck from a 3-1 lane narrowing to a 3-2 lane narrowing. the 2-1 lane narrowing will still occur at shower drive or wherever that road work is due to end. not many cars turn off between the existing 3-1 and shower drive, so all you will essentially get is an additional lane where the roadwork will occur. i think this will help - a little bit.
the other thing that i think will help DRAMATICALLY is to have cars start merging to the left lane on hwy 130 as soon as they turn off from hwy 11. the right (slow) lane should be reserved for cars pulling in from the side streets where the existing 2 or 3 lights are, with the main one being the last one by the high school. that last light should continue to be right turn on green only. then you will have NO MERGING occurring between the light by the high school and the humane society.
*** IN MY OPINION THE MERGE EARLY OPTION WILL SOLVE THE ENTIRE CURRENT PROBLEM WITHOUT ANY CONSTRUCTION *** I do support the construction of additional lanes, as the merge early option is simply a band aid.
Posts: 526
Threads: 11
Joined: Oct 2006
"I dunno why the TWO traffic lights set to flashing amber would make much of a difference."
Three lights flashing amber...from Hilo: Milo, Kukula and Old Kea'au Road. Best choice, no admittance southbound from side streets during rush period. With the two lane widening on HPP end of the bypass should be an easy flow. Merging finally down to one lane should be Kaloli or so.
