A $10 million sidewalk construction project will commence Monday along Kilauea Avenue as part of a federally funded initiative to create a safe, convenient route for students at the three Waiakea schools to walk and bike to class.

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A $10 million sidewalk construction project will commence Monday along Kilauea Avenue as part of a federally funded initiative to create a safe, convenient route for students at the three Waiakea schools to walk and bike to class.

The Safe Route to Waiakea Schools Improvement Project will include the installation of concrete sidewalks, retaining walls, drainage improvements and curb ramps, as well as driveway reconstruction and utility relocation work along the main Hilo thoroughfare between Ohea and Puainako streets.

Throughout the duration of construction, lane closures and lane shifts will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with one lane of travel maintained in each direction.

The Hawaii County Department of Public Works advises motorists to expect delays, exercise caution while traveling through the construction area, and budget for additional travel time.

Honolulu-based general contracting and manufacturing company Jas W. Glover Ltd. was awarded the project contract in December 2025 and expects to wrap up work by the end of 2027, according to a DPW press release.

Need for the project stems from Kilauea Avenue’s traffic congestion and lack of continuous pedestrian walkways, further worsened by poor driver visibility caused by illegally parked cars. This can force Waiakea High, Intermediate and Elementary school students to walk or bike near the shoulders of busy arterial roads.

Hawaii County Council member Dennis Onishi represents Hilo’s District 3 where the Waiakea schools are located. Onishi told the Tribune-Herald he’s relieved to see the proposed sidewalk improvements moving forward — a project that he said has been in the works for a long time.

Prior road reconstructions, he said, left access gaps and lacked proper flooding control.

“This has been many years coming, and I don’t know why when the county reconstructed Kilauea Avenue from Lanikaula Street to Ohea Street (they) didn’t extend (sidewalks) to Puainako Street,” he said. “It’s good to hear in the new construction (there’s) drainage improvements. On the previous reconstruction, drainage wasn’t part of the work, and now you can see ponding in certain areas on Kilauea Avenue.”

In its current condition, he said, the shoulders in that section of the road are bumpy and rough, making walking and biking more difficult.

“Challenges the pedestrians have faced on the existing shoulders are uneven ground on the makai side of Kilauea Avenue, and on the mauka side, flooding is a factor during rainy times,” he said.

After improvements are finished, he said, the isolated walking and cycling paths will go a long way in keeping members of the public — and especially students — away from traffic.

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“With high raised sidewalks and with bike paths, this will give added safety for pedestrians and bicycle riders,” he said.

The state Department of Transportation manages the federal Safe Routes to School program, with the stated goals of encouraging children — including those with disabilities — to walk and bicycle to school by making these transportation alternatives safer and more appealing.

Having these options, DOT has stated, motivates students to maintain “a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age.” The initiative also strives to reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

Other Safe Routes to School projects on the island include a push for more walkways in the neighborhood surrounding Hilo Union School, and for completed circular pedestrian pathways around Keaukaha Elementary School and Ke Ana La‘ahana Public Charter School located off of Kalanianaole Street.

In addition, Paauilo Elementary School along the Hamakua Coast has plans to develop infrastructure to help students safely cross Highway 19, and at the end of last year the County Council approved $2.6 million in state funding to improve walkways serving Keonepoko Elementary School along Kahakai Boulevard outside Pahoa.

The Kilauea Avenue improvements are being funded by nearly $1.4 million from the state-managed SRTS Program Special Fund, with the remainder coming from Federal Highway Administration grants and county matching funds. They encompass just one of more than a dozen projects announced by the state’s SRTS Advisory Committee last summer, the majority of which are located on Maui and Oahu.

These projects will share a total of $8 million in SRTS funds, comprised of legislative appropriations and money collected from a $5 fee on every vehicle registration in the state, as well as a surcharge applied to all traffic tickets.

In total, the Advisory Committee has identified 41 “active priority” projects totaling roughly $16 million that would serve more than 5,600 students and their families.

“As we move forward, we need to do more partnerships of all government entities, and I’m glad Public Works reached out to secure this funding from the state DOT, which got the funds from the federal infrastructure projects,” Onishi said.

His fellow council member Jenn Kagiwada, who also represents Hilo, said the Kilauea Avenue project could serve as a template for other schools to follow, ensuring that students can choose alternative ways of getting to campus if desired.

“The SRTS program is important for helping us make all our schools multi-modally accessible by adding bike paths and sidewalks whenever possible,” Kagiwada said. “More kids who live near their schools should have the option to walk, pedal or roll to school safely.”

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Email Stefan Verbano at [email protected].