KAILUA — The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) is excited to announce the completion of the Kalapawai Roundabout project, located at the intersection of Kalāheo Avenue and Kailua Road in Kailua. The opening of the roundabout comes after the completion of construction and safety improvements to the intersection.
The project, part of the City’s Complete Streets initiative, helps improves traffic, pedestrian and bicycle safety, as well as storm-water management for residents and visitors in the Kailua and Lanikai neighborhoods.
Key Features and Safety Improvements
• Modern Roundabout Design: Reduces vehicle speeds, shortens pedestrian
crossing distances, and eliminates dangerous head-on or high-speed right-angle collisions common at signalized intersections.
• Raised Crosswalks and Speed Tables: Calms traffic and provide safer, more visible pedestrian crossings for children, seniors, and beachgoers.
• Shared-Use Path and New Sidewalks: Provides comfortable, ADA-compliant walking and biking routes connecting Kailua Town, Kalāheo Avenue, and Kailua Beach Park.
• Permeable Pavement and Rain Gardens: Captures and filters stormwater, reducing runoff and protecting Kailua Bay’s nearshore waters.
• Upgraded Lighting and Landscaping: Improves nighttime visibility and beautify the area, preserving the iconic banyan tree at the intersection.
“Our friends, families, and local business owners in Kailua and Lanikai deserve the Kalapawai Roundabout,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “This is a tremendous project that required extraordinary effort, skill, and commitment to design, construct, and complete. We are deeply grateful to our dedicated DTS team for their hard work, and to our community partners for their collaboration and patience. With this improvement, residents, visitors, local businesses, and beachgoers in Kailua and Lanikai will benefit from safer travel and smoother traffic flow at this unique intersection for many years to come.”
Community and Neighborhood Benefits
The roundabout sits at one of Kailua’s busiest and most iconic gateways, linking Kailua Town’s shops and restaurants with the beach, area schools, and residential neighborhoods. The re-designed intersection eases traffic congestion, enhances walkability, and supports Kailua’s small-town appeal while accommodating increasing visitor activity.
By improving connections for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists alike, the roundabout helps reduce travel delays, emissions, and driver frustration, particularly during weekends and holidays when traffic surges in the area.
This project also presented a unique opportunity to enhance and protect the community’s natural environment through stormwater drainage. The roundabout now offers a natural solution to runoff filtration and protects vital local waterways and shorelines.
Project Team
The Kalapawai Roundabout project was made possible through strong collaboration between the City and County of Honolulu and its partners:
• Kiewit Corporation served as the general contractor, overseeing construction and implementation of roadway, drainage, and safety improvements.
• SSFM International was the project designer, developing the engineering plans and Complete Streets design that balances safety, function, and neighborhood character.
• Manthos Engineering provided construction management and inspection services, ensuring quality, safety, and adherence to design standards throughout the project.
Together, these teams worked closely with the Kailua community and the City to minimize disruptions, address resident feedback, and deliver a project that will serve the community for generations.
“The Department of Transportation Services remains focused on delivering infrastructure that meets community needs, and this project is a great example,” said DTS Deputy Director Jon Nouchi. “From the roundabout traffic pattern to the new sidewalks, the raised crosswalks, and the rain-garden drainage system, this effort was shaped with safety, mobility and sustainability front and center.”
The total cost of the Kalapawai Roundabout is approximately $11 million and was 80% covered by federal funds. Having the majority of the project covered by federal funds underlines the importance to promote and advance safety, multimodal access, and traffic reduction for the Kailua community.
DTS is grateful to the Kailua community for enduring construction of this project, and asks everyone to safely utilize the new roundabout and supporting pathways. Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the new layout, use caution as traffic patterns adjust and respect the improved pedestrian crossing.
For photos and video of today’s blessing, including aerial photos and video of the roundabout, please visit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PWaeoHlrNhyclghVRd_HN0eFtaYTreFB?usp=sharing