H1 Contraflow Lane & Full Depth Deck Repair

Honolulu traffic is ranked among the worst in the nation. As part of the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s efforts to improve Oahu’s traffic infrastructure, Hawaiian Dredging was hired as the Design-Builder to install additional lanes for faster travel times and improve road conditions for smoother rides. These repairs are collectively known as the H1 PM Contraflow Phase I and the Pearl City and Waimalu Viaduct Repairs project.

One of the bottlenecks that makes H1 such a time waster is the H1 Waiawa interchange. At peak hours, drivers spend an average of 45 minutes idling in their cars. Equally aggravating are the rough, bumpy surfaces that make rides jarring. Hawaiian Dredging’s work will shorten ride times with the addition of a contraflow lane between Radford Drive and the Waiawa Interchange.

The project will increase the capacity of the H1 freeway for Westbound commuters during the afternoon rush hour. The project includes:

• An additional lane through the Waiawa Interchange headed west towards Waikele.
• An additional lane on the Pearl City viaduct, from the Pearl City on-ramp to the Waipahu off-ramp.
• A PM shoulder lane from the Halawa merge in Aiea to the Pearl City off-ramp.
• Repairs to deteriorated concrete sections along the Pearl City viaduct in both directions. These repairs are accomplished with the use of hydrodemolition and high performance, fast-setting concrete. Sections of the bridge deck are removed and replaced each night to avoid any impacts to the afternoon and morning rush hour traffic and will extend the life of the structure as well as provide for a smooth ride.

This new construction will compliment improvements made along the same corridor by previous HDOT projects.

The repairs are made at night. First high pressure water blasting equipment demolishes old concrete, leaving a hole and exposed rebar. The hole is filled with high performance concrete that is fast-curing. When finished, pavement markings are repainted and ready for morning rush hour traffic.

Hawaiian Dredging is thrilled to make these changes possible and be relieving the traffic burden for Oahu residents.