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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0232.012 2008-2010 Saddle Road, State Route (SR 200) was constructed in 1942 during World.War;41,and provides the only vehicle access to the Army's Pohakuloa Training Area-(PTA)' th'e~ Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa Observatories, Waiki'i Ranch, the rl ~Qu Camp, Mauna Kea State Park as well as many hunting and re ' = I e . ~ 5206 is one of three roads only that allow access to both sides of the Big Island of Hawaii, Saddle Road being the shortest but also by far the most hazardoum it s crgssrjslajic~ routes. Saddle Road is dangerous and treacherous and has been identified by the Hawaii Department of Transportation as one of the most dangerous roads in Hawaii for roads of the same functional classification. A recent article in West Hawaii Today cited two of the State's 11 most dangerous stretches of road to be on Saddle Road according to a report required by the Federal Highway Administration ('5 Percent Report" [2006] listing locations exhibiting the most severe highway safety needs). In the past 10 years, the cost of damage to military rolling stock on Saddle Road exceeded $4M. Service members in convoy operations have suffered multiple traumatic injuries. Multiple MEDEVAC missions have evacuated the injured. This data does not include any medical costs associated with these accidents or any costs that may have been incurred by the public due to accidents. The PTA fire department serves as first responder for accidents, emergencies and fires on Saddle Road between MM 17 and MM 48. This department responds on average to more than two accidents a week, every year, on that section of Saddle Road alone. There were 62 major accidents in the past year on this segment of Saddle Road. The number of daily vehicle trips over Saddle Road has increased significantly since 1994, from 900 to over 1,200 despite dramatically reduced military training at PTA since 2001 due to the frequent deployment of Hawaii-based units overseas during that period. A very narrow average road width of 18 feet creates daily "near misses" for virtually all vehicles traveling the route, and contributes to an accident rate of 5.4 accidents per million vehicle miles driven, more than 150% above the State of Hawaii average of 3.0 accidents/mvm for rural 2-lane highways. With the opening of each newly constructed segment of Saddle Road, traffic volumes and driving speeds are expected to increase. This increased traffic volume will necessarily have to continue to use the unimproved section of existing Saddle Road (MM 42 to MM 54) until the proposed improvements to the western segment of Saddle Road are eventually completed. As traffic volumes continue to grow, the number and frequency of accidents that occur on this western segment may further increase until the entire western route has finally been improved, estimated to be 2014 or later. The Saddle Road is an undivided route that is a poorly maintained roadway averaging 18 to 20 feet in width with no shoulders. The outermost edges are in extremely poor condition, with steep drop-offs, thus causing unsafe driving by motorists forced to use the center of the road despite many hazardous locations where driver' sight distance of approaching vehicles is extremely limited. The route has evolved from a single lane a32 . ~7r Comm. NO Ref. To: Gt Ref. Date road with turnouts to its current state, a narrow two lane, paved surface with marginally maintained "cold patch" badly potholed outer edges. In one stretch just west of PTA, the pavement is 8.5 feet in width at each of the eight one-lane bridges or culverts that are arrayed along the west side of Saddle Road . Many of these one-lane bridges have limited sight distance, which has directly contributed to multiple accidents involving multiple vehicles. At many of these one-lane traverses, a makeshift "catch basin" for storm runoff, often just a large excavated pit with no headwall or guardrail, is at the edge of the shoulder-less roadway. The actual original roadway pavement surface does not extend beyond 6 feet of the centerline markings. The overall condition of the pavement is very poor with deep ruts along the outer third surface of both lanes. The thin existing pavement surface is double bituminous surface treatment (DBST) also referred to as "oil & screenings" of minimal depth, and thus provides little structural support. Heavy construction vehicles, water delivery trucks and movement of military vehicles may be contributing to further pavement distress, which in turn, could lead to more accidents. The West Side of Saddle Road is the last section of the route to be improved, yet exhibits the worst pavement conditions and alignment geometrics of the entire route. Numerous horizontal and vertical curves result in extremely poor sight distance in many areas. Warning signage and pavement markings are minimal, further adding to problems for motorists driving Saddle Road. Adequate drainage facilities are virtually nonexistent. These deficiencies when added to frequent poor weather conditions (fog, rain) along Saddle Road make driving extremely hazardous to motorists. The existing highway does not meet current Federal and State highway standards and creates unsafe driving conditions for the traveling public traversing the island. An inspection conducted by Army Safety personnel identified 29 high hazard points along the western portion of Highway 200 from MP 42 to MP 54. The hazards include eight one-lane bridges, abrupt edge drop offs where no road shoulder exists with no guard rails along the 12 miles Not cited in this inspection were the extremely poor sight distance conditions due to excessively sharp horizontal and blind vertical curves on the West Side. The HDOT project to upgrade Saddle Road has been under development since 1988. The EIS for the project was completed in 1999 and is scheduled to be enhanced by a Supplemental EIS based on the Army's request to move the road to the southern boundary of the Ke'amuku. Although the conceptual designs have been developed and a value engineering study conducted, the further progress of the project has continued to be hampered by the lack of State highway funding. Attempts to secure the estimated $75M needed to execute the project design and construction have met with poor results due to the many competing needs for highway funds in Hawaii. Nonetheless the US Army and the State of Hawaii have provided over $125 million to date for construction improvements to 22 miles of the overall Saddle Road route. The earliest estimated 2 completion of the western portion from MM 41.5 to Mamalahoa, if funding sources are developed, is expected to be 2014. Until the west side improvements to Saddle Road are completed, we ask that the council provide funding, perhaps from the "Gas Tax", to complete the re-paving effort that was started last fall of existing Saddle Road from MM 45 to MM 54 at Mamalahoa Highway. The repaving would include placement of a new asphalt "lift" to provide a safer two-lane travelway for the local residents who must use it, and the travelling public as a whole. I ask you on behalf of the 200 plus employees who work daily at P6hakuloa Training Area to pass this resolution and urge the County of Hawai'i Department of Works to complete the critical safety repairs needed to the existing west side of Saddle Road. 65 years is long enough. Steve Troute Kona 808.325.2331 6 O Cd t~ r Cr A i t d fw 3