Waikiki Neighborhood Board No. 9

Beach Walk Wastewater Emergency Bypass update

Aug 01, 2006

Project Update

CONTRACTORS RACE TO

MEET KEY DEADLINE

July 31, 2006 Update

It's been a busy week as the emergency design and construction team raced to meet a key deadline aimed at preventing another catastrophic sewage spill.

After successfully building, floating and then sinking a 5,000 foot long emergency bypass wastewater pipe, contractors worked overtime to hook up the pipe on both ends of the Ala Wai Canal. Its a key part of having the Beachwalk Wastewater Emergency Bypass (BWEB) up and running by Aug. 1.

They also had to start the noisy but necessary pile driving on a pit that will house microtunneling equipment needed for the phase two of the project.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the equipment, as we received calls from Waikiki and McCully high-rise residents. The noise also disrupted the first days of school at nearby Ala Wai Elementary School.

Contractors had hoped to finish the pile driving before school started, but the earlier than usual school start plus additional construction factors meant some of the work had to be done during school and over this past weekend. Workers hoped to have the pile driving finished by Tuesday, Aug. 1.

Ala Wai Principal Charlotte Unni sent notes home to the parents of the 440 students explaining the construction project. The students also had to deal with the summer heat.

The school was built in 1954 and air conditioning would require extensive retrofitting of the classrooms. At the request of Mayor Mufi Hannemann, the BWEB team is leading a drive to collect $23,000 in private donations to outfit each classroom with a special FM sound system. The systems are used in open air classrooms and have been applauded as an effective teaching tool.

The systems have been ordered by the Department of Education for the school. Thus far, $11,000 has been raised toward that goal of $23,000 and more is being sought. Donors include Hawaiian Dredging, Bank of Hawaii, the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, M& E Pacific, and Ho'bkea Communications.

While much of the work concentrated in Waikiki and in front of the school, the BWEB team made significant progress at Ala Moana Beach Park, where contractors finished major work and were able to reopen the Diamond Head park entrance to both ingoing and outgoing users.

Some work remains at Ala Moana Park, but the focus in the coming weeks will shift to Kaiolu Street in Waikiki, where workers will begin jet grouting the road to make it stable for the microtunneling process.

Check this site (www.beachwalkbypass.com) for weekly updates. Also a reminder that the project hotline continues to be manned Monday thru Friday from 8am to 5pm. That number is 808-203-5777.