Building Industry Magazine - November 2013 - (Page 72)

NewsBeat HART Back on Track "We're moving forward, and we're happy about that." -Daniel Grabauskas, HART executive director and CEO HART's crew gathers to begin work.-photos courtesy HART The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) restarted construction September 16 on the East Kapolei construction site. City officials and construction workers from contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West Company set out at dawn to mark the event with a traditional Hawaiian blessing and begin drill work on the $5.26 billion elevated transit rail project. The 13-month halt followed a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that the city should have finished archaeological survey work along the entire 20-mile route before construction began. The State Historic Preservation Division has approved completed archaeological plans and the City Council has approved a special management area use permit authorizing the restart of rail transit project construction. "Getting back to work now will help ensure we deliver the rail project on time and on budget," said Daniel Grabauskas, HART's executive director and CEO. "That's our responsibility to taxpayers. Safety is a top priority for us, and in the months ahead, HART will work closely with the community to keep motorists informed and aware of our construction work and any impacts on traffic." Kiewit plans to complete its work in the area next spring. For now, crews are drilling, pouring concrete and grading for the first portion of the rail route. In the coming months, about 1,600 more jobs will be added to the mix, HART officials said in their weekly email newsletter. "We're moving forward, and we're happy about that," said Grabauskas. "We look forward to getting people back to work and getting this project done." In addition to column construction work in East Kapolei, workers have also returned to jobs at the future home of the rail system's operations and control center in Waipahu near Leeward Community College, and along Farrington Highway, where they will relocate utility lines and conduct soil tests. Upon completion of utility relocation work, West Oahu road closures are expected to affect traffic in both directions of Old Farrington Highway between Kualakai Parkway (formerly North-South Road) and Old Fort Weaver Road Loop while drill shaft and column construction are in progress as part of the planned rail guideway. As a result of the rail transit construction, the closure of that section of Farrington Highway is expected to last through spring 2014. 72 | BUILDING INDUSTRY | NOVEMBER 2013 A Hawaiian blessing by Kahu Kordell Kekoa marked the restart of construction in East Kapolei for the first phase of HART's 20-mile rail transit system.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building Industry Magazine - November 2013

MAUI How upbeat is the current situation on Maui?
PACIFIC BUILDING TRADE EXPO PROGRAM the entire event program
HAWAII’S LEADERS IN SOLAR a special advertising section features
NEWS BEAT Kinsella Heads Pacific Region
Late Senator Honored for Work on Rail
CRW Hawaii Celebrates 20 Years
Solar Power World’s 10 Best in Hawaii
DPP Wins Innovation Award for Online ePlans
Allied Builders Oversees Haleiwa Store Lots
Southland Mole JV Wins Sewer Tunnel Contract
PAMCA Installs New Board
HART Back on Track
dck Presents Capital Solutions
DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Corner & Datebook
Contracts Awarded
Low Bids
Best Practices Partnering: The Way to Build It Right from Ground Zero
Spotlight on Success: Ward Village Shops–Phase II
Concept to Completion: Kapalama Shopping Center Renovation
New Products
Newsmakers

Building Industry Magazine - November 2013