Victorino Praises State Funds, Including $110 M for Pā‘ia Bypass

Pāʻia Relief Route map. Image: Hawai’i Department of Transportation.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino expressed his gratitude Wednesday to state lawmakers for successfully passing legislation for hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improvement funding for Maui County.

“These projects include much-needed school buildings, $110 million for the Pāʻia bypass and $38 million for upgrades at Kahului Airport terminal and facility improvements,” Mayor Victorino said. “These projects will not only improve the quality of life for our residents; they also provide construction jobs, generate income and help support small businesses in our community.”

Aside from the Pāʻia bypass and Kahului Airport funding, highlights of state appropriations for Maui County include:

• $56.5 million for improvements at Kahului Harbor.
• $39.1 million for capital improvements at Pāʻia Elementary School ($17 million), Maui High School ($8 million), Lahainaluna High School ($7.2 million), ʻĪao Intermediate School ($5.1 million) and King Kekaulike High School ($1.8 million).
• $12 million for Maui Health System facilities, including Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lānaʻi Community Hospital.
• $8.3 million for improvements at Molokaʻi Airport ($3.5 million), Hāna Airport ($2.4 million) and Lanai Airport ($2.4 million).
• $8 million for Maui Community Correctional Center renovations, infrastructure work, new construction and security improvements.
• $5 million for development of emergency housing by rehabilitating or replacing four existing buildings former dormitories at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.
• $5 million for Honoapiʻilani Highway shoreline erosion mitigation between Ukumehame and Launiupoko.
• $4.3 million for Hāna Highway bridge replacements.
• $4 million for widening Haleakala Highway at milemarker 0.8.
• $3.5 million for a finger pier replacement at Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor.
• $500,000 for a Wailuku-Kahului transit corridor master plan for development of an implementation strategy for public facility and multimodal transportation improvements.
• $450,000 for a Kanahā Beach Park gray water reuse demonstration project.
• $125,000 for mapping of important agricultural lands in Maui County.

The funding measures are pending approval by Gov. David Ige.