City completes significant phase in $82M sewer rehab project

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Commuting through Kalihi may soon be a little easier.

The city announced Thursday that it’s nearing completion of the first phase of a major sewer rehabilitation project that’s required crews tearing up major thoroughfares in the area.

The $82 million endeavor entails installing more than 6,000 feet of sewer line down Waiakamilo Road.

Part 1 spans from Nimitz Highway to Dillingham Boulevard and the second portion, which will begin soon, extends the sewer line to School Street.

It’s all part of a 2010 consent decree with the federal government in which the city agreed to make significant improvements to its wastewater infrastructure.

The next major step in the project will be revamping wastewater treatment plans.

“For the entire collection system and secondary treatment, it’s probably one of the largest construction projects in the history of the state of Hawaii,” Caldwell said.

“It ranks with rail. in today’s dollars, $9 billion. These are major, major, major infrastructure projects that are ongoing, that are going to last for 100 years and serve the public.”

Phase 2 of the Waiakamilo portion of the project is expected to be completed by next summer.

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