Vehicular access to the SEIS Lands is provided by Kamehameha Highway which is the only arterial highway serving the North Shore and Ko‘olau Loa regions. It is a two-lane, two-way, undivided State highway generally following the coastline, except for the Kahuku area and the Hale‘iwa area where it turns inland. The highway consists of a 50-foot wide right-of way with pavement widths of 20 to 24 feet and unpaved shoulders. In most areas, there are no sidewalks and pedestrians must walk on the shoulders. The resort has committed to dedicating 50 feet of additional right-of-way mauka of Kamehameha Highway for the possible future widening of the highway fronting the resort property.
In the majority of the communities of the Ko‘olau Loa/North Shore region, residents live within a few blocks of Kamehameha Highway. Although population growth in the combined North Shore/Ko‘olau Loa area has been relatively stable over the past 30 years, a combination of factors has led to a perceived increase in traffic congestion on Kamehameha Highway. Existing and forecast traffic conditions will be addressed in the Draft supplemental environmental impact study (SEIS). The issue of traffic is a persistent concern among area residents and community leaders.
Within the SEIS Lands, Kuilima Drive provides access to the existing and proposed development. It is a four lane paved roadway with curbs, gutters, and sidewalks situated within a typical 80-foot right-of-way that widens at the Kamehameha Highway intersection. The Resort Master Plan includes the construction of a new east-west oriented roadway (called Kaihalulu Drive for planning purposes).
The traffic study originally prepared for Turtle Bay Resort has been periodically updated over the years. The last update was completed in 2009. Traffic counts will be completed to update the 2009 data and a trip generation study for the existing developments and Resort Master Plan will be completed. An analysis of the traffic impacts from the Resort Master Plan and alternatives will also be conducted. From the analyses, the highway and the SEIS Lands access improvements will be identified. The results of the traffic study update will be presented in the Draft SEIS.
We expect to increase vehicular traffic on Kamehameha Highway. The traffic analysis to be conducted for the Draft SEIS will help determine if the impact is significant. The Draft SEIS will evaluate the impacts of the Resort Master Plan upon both local and regional traffic patterns. We will also be looking for strategies that can alleviate regional traffic issues generally.