State lays out plan to realign highway near Laniakea Beach to alleviate traffic

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - After decades of bumper to bumper traffic in a popular turtle sighting area on Oahu’s North Shore, the state said it is planning to improve the roadway — but it could take about four years.

The state filed a plan this week to shift Kamehameha Highway about 50 feet inland along Laniakea Beach.

This is a much smaller stretch than the state’s original plan, which was to move a mile of the highway a thousand feet mauka. Officials said that plan would have cost upwards of $40 million.

In order to cut costs, the state chose to move a smaller section of the road, which would cost about $12 million.

The state said this project would provide a pedestrian access lane and a parking area on the beach side of the highway.

As the plan is laid out, officials said work would start in late 2023 and could take about two years to complete.

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