West Maui residents want Lahaina Bypass extended to alleviate traffic ‘crisis’

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – West Maui residents are demanding state officials do more to help them with the daily traffic jams in Lahaina.

Hawaii Department of Transportation officials promised residents they will open Honoapiilani Highway to help alleviate traffic on the Lahaina Bypass.

The announcement comes the day after a Hawaii News Now story about residents’ frustrations.

“With Honoapiilani Highway, we heard from a community, gotta get it open. We know the traffic has been frustrating for all of you. So, we heard, get it open before the school year starts, and that’s what we’re doing. August 1st is our target,” said Robin Shishido, Deputy Director for state highways.

While many locals are grateful, some say it will only help a little.

“Totally support that. Totally, totally support that. But it still doesn’t solve the problem. You know what I mean. Still doesn’t really solve the problem about the tourists going to Kaanapali,” said West Maui resident Junya Nakoa.

So, in addition, residents are also asking DOT to extend the Lahaina Bypass north to eliminate congestion on Keawe Street.

However, at the Disaster Recovery Meeting Wednesday night, Shishido said that is not a priority.

“Right now, it is not in our program. It’s not on our priority list. New capacity projects, again, are not,” Shishido said.

“But maybe it should be on the priority list,” one community member said at the meeting.

“We are telling you to put that on your agenda,” said another community member at the meeting.

“Forty thousand of us told them no reopen Lahaina too soon. We’re not ready. But no, they like open it up to tourism and we gotta suffer. Lahaina people gotta suffer the consequences because of the traffic that they caused,” Nakoa said.

Shishido said he hears them, will pass it on to his director and will come back with some answers.

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