Rail work will start soon over H-1 in Aiea

AIEA, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Drivers should start mentally preparing for lane closures because rail construction crews are nearing their work to extend the concrete guideway over the H-1 Freeway in Aiea.

The portion of the 20-mile guideway that begins in Kapolei is now just a couple of support columns away from reaching the cantilever construction area that will extend the line over west and eastbound traffic on the freeway above Kamehameha Highway near the Sears Distribution Center.

A press conference to lay out the exact details of the expected overnight lane closures is expected to take place near the first week of June, said rail officials.

The lane closures, expected to begin first in the westbound lanes, will be similar to those put in place during the cantilever work over the freeway near the H-1/H-2 split.

Drivers will again be encouraged to "Look ahead, not overhead," said officials.

Similar safety measures, such as construction netting, will also be used while crews work over the lanes of traffic.

The stretch of guideway extended under this portion of cantilever construction is shorter that the length of the guideway built across the freeway near the H-1/H-2 split.

Observers believe that could mean that the lane closure impact on drivers may be much less than experienced during the longer construction of the guideway in the H-1/H-2 area.

Officials say crews are nearly done with all the overhead guideway work along the line along Farrington Highway in Waipahu where they've been demobilizing and relocating equipment for the past few months.

Most of the work there is now centered on road improvements, installing curb and landscaping underneath the rail line between the concrete support columns.

For more information on the guideway, click here.