Poipu Roundabout

Just in time for us!

kauaiworld.com/articles/…news01.txt

Small businesses hopeful that completion of roadwork will attract more customers

by Rachel Gehrlein - The Garden Island

PO‘IPU — Amidst bright orange detour signs and backhoes sitting empty, cars slowly weaved through the recently reopened section of Po‘ipu Road yesterday from the Koloa fire station to the Kapili Road junction.

The road was closed last May when work on a roundabout intersection began in the area.

Paul Kuribayashi, owner of Kukui‘ula Store on Po‘ipu Road, has felt the impact of the construction.

“The whole complex has been suffering since last June,” Kuribayashi said as he surveyed the half-full parking lot. “It impacted business, and we were losing money by the end of the summer.”

Kuribayashi said the stretch of road in front of his store is supposed to be fixed sometime next month, but he isn’t looking forward to the new asphalt.

“Once they start grinding in front of the store, we might have to close for a few days,” he said. “A lot of the local people don’t want to deal with the road mess and construction.”

At the Poipu Grill, the owners say they’ve yet to realize the snack shop’s potential. The eatery opened when construction began last May.

“We really don’t know any better,” Amanda Ka-ne, cook at the Poipu Grill, said. “We have just heard how good it can be from everyone (in the complex).”

Ka-ne said she hoped business will be better this summer.

The roundabout was added to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic as the South Shore growns.

The biggest development in the area is Kukui‘ula Development Co.’s 1,000-plus-acre community. The company funded $12 million for a county bypass road that circumvents Koloa Town, running from ‘Oma‘o to the fire station.

As the traffic patterns have changed in the area near the roundabout, motorists are advised to drive with caution. Stop signs have been posted at the Lawa‘i Road detour and the Po‘ipu Road intersection.

Motorists on Po‘ipu Road have the right of way at the Lawa‘i Road detour and Po‘ipu Road intersection.

Poipu Roundabout

Holy Kauai Chickens, it will certainly be nice when all that new work in poipu is completed.

Teh last few months,when we have decided to stop at the kukui%26#39;ula market for something, or to chat with the great folks at outfitters.....

We were able to park in the parking lot. Wow ! Several spaces were open, which is very unusual. Generally we park across on the far side of poipu road, and dash across due to their not being any room in the lot.

Good that the roundabout is completed, sort of, maybe almost ? It will be a real breath of fresh air when all of that is done with.

Not sure when that will be, and poipu will have the dust shields down, and the develpments all finished and beautified. From just looking at things, it appears to be quite some time in the future.

Denny

Poipu Roundabout

Roundabouts are becoming much more common, all across the country and make a helluva lot of sense. They greatly improve traffic flows. I%26#39;d go so far as to say that a roundabout at that %26#39;intersection%26#39; could have been used well before all the construction there. Pulling out off of Lawai Road or left from Poipu Rd. onto Lawai Road was treacherous at best sometimes.

The construction of a roundabout should be no big deal. Only in Hawaii would it take as long as it has to complete a roundabout. It%26#39;s mind boggling to me.

Roundabouts are great. too bad highway depts. in the US rejected them for so long even though their success in Europe was obvious.

Also glad to see they are getting the road open closer to the original end Jan expectation and that the rumor of another year was just hot air.

If our coming recession hits home, might see a slowdown all around on all the construction though the projects already in play will likely go forward at least partially.

and as for how long it took them. People should know there were also some major sewer line improvements being done. Through solid rock and down quite a ways. Not as easy as just earth moving on the mainland

Aloha from Kaua%26#39;i!

I just got back from vacation on Sunday - imagine my surprise when I drove down to the Hyatt to work and found that I no longer had to be ';detoured'; down through the construction field and Ho%26#39;onani Road -- hooray! Definitely makes life easier for those of us who have to drive that stretch to work every day!

The roundabaout looks quite aways from being finished though - but I%26#39;m just happy to be able to drive on Po%26#39;ipu Road again!

Malama Pono,

Janet

Welcome back Janet. How is the rest of the construction?

Aloha from Kaua%26#39;i!

Well, the section of Po%26#39;ipu Road that was closed has been re-opened - it is quite a bit wider now and has turn lanes for all the new condo developments that are in the process of being built -- kind of a shock driving thru there the first time!

The roundabout is still under construction - I haven%26#39;t heard a completion date on it yet - hard to tell from looking at it.

All the other construction is still around - nothing has changed in any other respect other than having Po%26#39;ipu Road re-opened, which is great!

Both Ho%26#39;onani and Kapili Roads are open also.

Malama Pono,

Janet