4/8/21 #Kihei
Last year we were advised by County Administration that the design for next segment of North South Collector Road (NSCR) would be complete 4/2022 and construction would immediately follow. This month we now learn construction will not commence until 2024. The segment running north from current terminus at Waipuilani Rd.to Kulanihakoi St.(entrance to new high school) is projected to be pau in 2026. This is a key segment, offering a north-south, multi-modal route between homes, the new high school, stores, an elementary and middle school and the community park.
This road currently commences at the edge of North Kihei and runs south from Uwapo Rd. as Kenolio Rd., as a narrow transit with no bike lanes and only spotty segments of sidewalks. Just before crossing Alulike St., at the construction site of Hyatt Vacation Timeshares (old Maui Lu site), it widens with bike lanes and sidewalks. This continues until it terminates at Kaonolu St. (It does extend a few yards further into the now open Kenolio Village rental project, but Kaonoulu St. is the last through street.)
The next very short segment extends between Kulanihakoi river gulch and Kulanihakoi Rd. You see the gap between Kaonoulu St. and Henono Pl. a cul de sac north of Kulanihakoi St., so it is totally isolated. This brings us to the long stretch which County Administration calls the Liloa extension. You see the NSCR now is called Liloa Rd. and this next extension project due to open in 2026, will run between Waipuilani Rd. and Kulanihakoi St., at least five years away!
The missing segment running north from Kulanihakoi St.leaves the dead end bottleneck at Kaonoulu St., and the segment is apparently a decade away as there is not even a projected date to begin building it.
We recently had a presentation from Munikiyo-Hiraga clearly illustrating the plans for these next two segments as shown below. The plans contain three roundabouts along the extension, a very progressive step, but two of them are five years away and the third at Kaonoulu St. at least ten years. This is only in North Kihei, as the south side is only a distant dream.
NSCR-liloa-drive-extension-2021
Aloha Mike and thanks for the update. This road has been promised for so many many years and a further delay is very sad news.
In the very least the county should improve it to be a paved bike trail so families, their children and students have a safe way getting from their homes to shopping, school, parks and public pool. This improvement should happen ASAP without further delay.
I have children and grandchildren that really need this now!
Mahalo Mike. We totally agree. About six years we assembled 3 county leaders for a site visit walking across the future road along the makai edge of the community park proposing building the greenway firstand then adding the roadway sometime in the future.The concept would open up many neighboors south of the park for safe cycling and walking to the 2 schools and connecting to the existing greenway onto shopping centers,and as you said the pools
Everyone agreed this was a sage proposal and was rather easy to achieve, & then they took no action. All three have moved on and left the community with no improvement.
SEE https://gokihei.org/environment/kca-again-proposes-a-safe-bike-path-in-kihei