The U.S. House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed a 5-year national highway infrastructure reauthorization bill, H.R. 3, known as SAFETEA-LU.
H.R. 3 authorizes critical federal highway formula and safety programs, funding maintenance and improvements to our transportation systems, through Fiscal Year 2009. Passage by the U.S. Senate is expected today or tomorrow.
SAFETEA-LU authorizes roughly $900 million in federal cost sharing for allocation to Hawaii projects (the exact figure is not currently available.) Of that amount, the bill designates $145.6 million to specific Hawaii high priority infrastructure improvement projects, including $132.8 million for projects in Hawaii’s Second Congressional District (Suburban/Rural Oahu, Neighbor Islands), including:
”Big Island”
*Construct Puanaiko Street, Island of Hawaii — $800,000
*Study of East Hawaii Alternative Road, Island of Hawaii — $160,000
*Widen Queen Kaahumanu Highway, Island of Hawaii — $22,400,000
*Construct Waimea Bypass, Island of Hawaii — $800,000
*Improve Saddle Road, Island of Hawaii — $50,000,000
”Total: $74.6 million”
”Oahu:”
*Upgrade Farrington Highway, Island of Oahu — $800,000
*Kapolei Transportation Improvements, Island of Oahu — $40,800,000
*Study of Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road, Island of Oahu — $400,000
*Replace and rehabilitate Kamehameha Highway Bridges, Island of Oahu — $800,000
*Construct Bike lanes on Kalanianaole Highway, vicinity of Makapuu to Keolu Drive, Island of Oahu — $240,000
”Total: $43.04 million”
”Maui:”
*Construct access road for Kahului Airport, Island of Maui — $800,000
*Construct Honoapiilani Highway Realignment, Island of Maui — $12,400,000
”Total: $13.2 million”
”Kauai:”
*Construct Kapaa Bypass, Island of Kauai — $2,400,000
”Total: $2.4 million”
Additionally, H.R. 3 contains Federal Transit Administration authority for the Honolulu Rapid Transit Project, and $15 million for Hawaii and Alaska New Start Ferry Boats, of which Hawaii should see $7.5 million per year. The bill also authorized $1.35 million for Honolulu Bus Facilities for FY 2006, and $1.3 million for the remainder of the bill which expires in FY 2009.
”’Democrat Congressman Ed Case is the U.S. Representative for the Second District in Hawaii.”’
”’HawaiiReporter.com reports the real news, and prints all editorials submitted, even if they do not represent the viewpoint of the editors, as long as they are written clearly. Send editorials to”’ mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com