Puʻunēnē Avenue widening project reaches 40% completion; work set to finish second half of 2026

Work on the state’s $25.5 million Puʻunēnē Avenue road widening project is around 40% complete, according to state Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen in an email Wednesday.

The projected timeline for the entire project to widen the roadway from two to four lanes is either late third quarter or early fourth quarter of 2026. The completion date extends more time for utility work. 

Finished project work includes: shifting the northbound lanes to the east to allow for the expansion of the roadway; erecting a retaining wall fronting Kahului Baptist Church; paving driveways at the entrance/exists at Kahului Baptist Church and Kahului Hongwanji, along with other sidewalk and drainage work.

This week, crews are working on sidewalks from East/West Kauaʻi streets to Papa Avenue.

In the next couple of weeks, work shift to the area between Wākea Avenue and East/West Kauaʻi streets where crews will be upgrading driveways along the roadway.

Groundbreaking and blessing of the project were held in mid-November.

The two-lane Puʻunēnē Avenue has long been a site for traffic jams in Central Maui, especially during busy get-to-school and pau hana commute times, morning and afternoon, from Wākea Avenue to Kūihelani Highway.

The project is aimed at increasing the roadway’s capacity to handle traffic congestion. It also features safety enhancements — better street lighting, new concrete sidewalks and multi-use road shoulders. Work includes upgraded traffic signals and drainage improvements.

New sound walls on the southern end of the project will reduce traffic noise for nearby residents.

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. is the project’s general contractor. Sub-contractors include: Affiliated Construction, GP Roadway Solutions, Maui Kupono Builders, South Pacific Steel Corp., Tom’s Backhoe and Excavation Co., Kīhei Gardens & Landscaping Co., Elite Concrete, Lite Electric and SF Masonry.

The project’s design firm is Wilson Okamoto Corp.