Draft environmental assessment published for Līloa Drive extension in Kīhei

Public comments are due Aug. 22 for Maui County’s draft environmental assessment of its planned 4,900-foot extension of Līloa Drive, also known as the North-South Collector Road, from East Waipu‘ilani Road to Ka‘ono‘ulu Street in Kīhei.

The state Office of Environmental Quality Control posted Maui County’s draft environmental assessment and anticipated finding of no significant impact in is July 23 issue of The Environmental Notice.

The Department of Public Works describes the two-phase extension project as a two-lane roadway with curbs, gutters, sidewalks, a shared use path, retaining walls, street lights, pathway lights and related utility improvements.

With South Maui’s population projected to grow by more than 40% by 2035, the roadway extension project is aimed at providing motorists another north-south corridor to relieve traffic congestion on South Kīhei Road and Pi‘ilani Highway. Without the project, traffic on those roads is forecast to increase approximately 35% along South Kīhei Road and 55% along Pi‘ilani Highway.

The Līloa Drive extension project is listed in the Federal-Aid Highways 2035 Transportation Plan for the Maui District (July 2014); the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Hele Mai Maui Long-Range Transportation Plan 2040 (December 2019); and the Kīhei Sub-Area Transportation Plan (March 2021). Phase I of the project is included in the 2022-2025 Maui Transportation Improvement Program.

The project’s first phase will be between East Waipu‘ilani Road to the vicinity of Kūlanihāko‘i Street, and the second phase will extend the road north from Kūlanihākoʻi to Ka‘ono‘ulu Street. Phase I is expected to begin construction in 2027 and take 18 to 24 months to complete. The second phase will start after completion of the first and following receipt of funding.

While the project’s path will remain primarily within the existing road right-of-way, construction will require temporary rights-of-entry or temporary construction easements from some landowners immediately abutting the corridor. Also, a limited number of permanent easements and acquisitions will be required.

The estimated $80 million project will include funding from the Federal Highway Administration. The first phase is estimated to cost $50 million, and the second part carries a $30 million price tag.

Last year, the county received $25 million grant in federal funding for the project from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program.

Plans call for single-lane roundabouts at Līloa Drive’s intersections with Ka‘ono‘ulu and Kūlanihāko‘i streets and East Waipu‘ilani Road. Cross street improvements will be provided to help with traffic flow at those intersections, as well as other intersections along the extension of Līloa Drive.

The project includes the installation of two bridges: one at Waipu‘ilani Gulch; and the other at Kūlanihāko‘i Gulch. The bridge projects will involve work up- and downstream of the bridges.

Public comments can be emailed to project consultant Munekiyo Hiraga at liloadrive@munekiyohiraga.com.