Piʻilani Highway roundabout at Kūlanihākoʻi to proceed

DOT officials tell Maui Now that construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Piʻilani Highway and Kūlanihākoʻi Street is proceeding.

The State of Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is developing the proposed intersection improvements to provide access to the new high school and slow higher speed traffic along Piʻilani Highway.

Construction of the two-lane, 4-legged roundabout will proceed in three phases and estimated completion is January 2023. The roundabout will be fully operational after completion of the second phase in November.

The project background on the acceptance of the environmental documentation for the Piʻilani Highway Intersection Improvements, in the vicinity of Kūlanihākoʻi Street was included in the following document: http://oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/Other_TEN_Publications/2021-08-08-MA-Prior-Determination-Kihei-HS-Roundabout.pdf 

In preparation for Phase I, restriping and barrier installations will take place this week on the Piʻilani Highway in the vicinity of Kūlanihākoʻi Street.

This will result in a nightly full closure of Piʻilani Highway in both directions between Kaonoulu Street and Piʻikea Avenue, for temporary striping and barrier installations, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation announced.

Piʻilani Highway closures will occur during the following times:

• From 8 p.m. on Thursday night, March 24, through 5 a.m., on Friday morning, March 25.
• On Friday night, March 25, through Sunday morning, March 27, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., nightly.

Motorists will be detoured to South Kīhei Road as an alternate route.

The following changes to Piʻilani Highway will remain in place throughout Phase 1 construction:

• Piʻilani Highway between Kaonoulu Street and Piʻikea Avenue will be three lanes. The center lane will be coned for contraflow to allow for two southbound (Kīhei-bound) lanes between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. Between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the contraflow lane will be open in the northbound (Kahului-bound) direction.
• Kūlanihākoʻi Street at its intersection with Piʻilani Highway will be right-turn in, right-turn out.

Phase 1 work is estimated to be completed by August 2022.

HDOT advises motorists to plan ahead and allow for extra travel time to get to their destinations. Electronic message boards are posted notifying motorists of the closure. Emergency vehicles and First Responders will not be let through the work zone. Roadwork is weather permitting.

More information on the project to construct a multi-lane roundabout can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/KiheiRoundabout-Presentation-20210111-Final.pdf