Saddle Road Opening

[Konaguy]

Phase I of the Saddle Road re-alignment will be opening late Tuesday, according to this HTH article

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2007/05/24/local_news/local01.txt

The newly re-aligned road is from Mauna Kea State Park to Mauna Kea Access Road (M.M 28 to M.M 35).

[Konaguy]

Me and my girlfriend took these pictures of the newly build Saddle Road.

http://aaronstene.blogspot.com/2007/05/saddle-road-pictures.html

[Beachboy]

personally I don't find it worthy of front page news...but that's our Big Island for ya. What does one save taking 'Saddleback Road' from Hilo to Kona, perhaps 20 minutes? I'd much rather take the majestic ride around the Pauuilo-Waimea route to Kona.

[joshuatree]

The rebuilt portions of Saddle Road look good, nice and flat, wider shoulders, look a whole lot safer. It doesn't look like they've increased the capacity (add lanes, etc), so I don't know what the big controversy is? Is it a funding issue? I don't see how it can be an environmental issue, the road already exists and it doesn't appear to have grown, just rebuilt to make it safer. If it's funding, maybe the road can apply for interstate status and get more funding? H4? :confused:

[Konaguy]

personally I don't find it worthy of front page news...but that's our Big Island for ya. What does one save taking 'Saddleback Road' from Hilo to Kona, perhaps 20 minutes? I'd much rather take the majestic ride around the Pauuilo-Waimea route to Kona.

I'd personally take Saddle Road over going Hamakua any day. It takes about additional 30 minutes going Hamakua vs Saddle. With these forthcoming improvements, the time savings will be even greater when more of the road is improved.

Another aspect to consider is the weather. Whenever its poor, the Hamakua road floods out quite frequently leaving Saddle and Ka'u the only open to get to Hilo.

Lastly when 221 million is slated to be spent on improving the safety of this road (there is a lot of hair pin turns and one lane bridges. Plus there has been a lot of fatalities
on this road due to its unsafe nature), its a big story.

[Konaguy]

The rebuilt portions of Saddle Road look good, nice and flat, wider shoulders, look a whole lot safer. It doesn't look like they've increased the capacity (add lanes, etc), so I don't know what the big controversy is? Is it a funding issue? I don't see how it can be an environmental issue, the road already exists and it doesn't appear to have grown, just rebuilt to make it safer. If it's funding, maybe the road can apply for interstate status and get more funding? H4? :confused:

The controversy is the Department of the Army is funding the bulk of these improvements through its Defense Access Roads program. Since there is big contingent of folks who hate military here for whatever reason (e.g Stryker),whatever the Army does sparks criticism.

The anti-war folks protested back in 2004 when the Saddle Road improvement project started. I wouldn't doubt that they'll be up there again tomorrow for the opening of the first segment of the new road.

Getting back to the funding, The Army is funding this through their DAR program. But the hook is only areas inside PTA qualify for this funding. I believe the re-construction of Saddle Road between m.m 28 to 19 is being funded with FHWA money, administered by HDOT. But the rest of the project currently slated for completion from m.m 28 to 42 is being funded by the Army.

Since the Army has purchased a large chunk of Parker Ranch grazing land on the western side of Saddle Road for Stryker training. So its possible the road segments between m.m 42 to Mamalahoa may qualify for DAR funding also. The remaining Hilo side road segments from m.m 19 to m.m 6 will probably be funded by FHWA/HDOT.

www.saddleroad.com
http://www.cflhd.gov/projects/StateProjectDetails.cfm?State=HI&WebProjectUID=10385

Edit: In regards to how the road is being built, certain segments are being re-aligned (namely Phase I which is opening tomorrow mm.m 28 to m.m 35), other segments are
being simply re-constructed (especially in environmentally sensitive areas above Hilo), generally keeping the present alignment. But making it safer.

[oceanpacific]

I was once prevented from going to Kona because of landslides along the Hamakua coast. It was not worthwhile to go via "the Saddle" due to conditions prevalent back then. Going the southern route (126 miles to Kailua-Kona) was just too far .......... the need to go to Kona was not urgent.