Efforts are underway near the future Niuhelewai rail transit station to create a linear park and other enhancements along Kapalama Canal between Nimitz Highway and slightly mauka of the H-1 Freeway. The project will include waterfront promenades; gathering places; green infrastructure; water quality improvements; resiliency strategies to defend against increased flooding anticipated from sea level rise; Complete Streets improvements to Kokea and Kohou Streets; and other access improvements along and across the canal, including pedestrian bridges, with connections to Honolulu Community College and future developments. This project is a direct outcome of various community plans, including the Kalihi-Palama Action Plan and the Kalihi Neighborhood TOD Plan. The project is intended as a catalyst to spur broader neighborhood improvements and urban, mixed-use development consistent with the vision laid out in the TOD Plan. The project will provide new open space in this underserved community and high-quality facilities for bicycle and pedestrian travel to and from the rail station.

Watch this summary video on the Kapalama Canal Catalytic Project.

Elevating the perception of water from that of being a threat to being a community resource.

Existing Central Canal Looking Makai

Central Canal Typical Section (3.2’ SLR)

Central Canal Raised Path Section (3.2’ SLR)

Project planning began with a review and analysis of existing site conditions, including civil data, related planning studies, and regulatory parameters. A robust community engagement program further informed the master planning process. Following up on a conceptual master plan that included various design interventions within and around the canal, the Resilient Master Plan (and associated technical reports) incorporated sea level rise considerations as part of the project’s resiliency goal. Consequently, certain features were deemed no longer feasible while other features were highlighted as opportunities to enhance the canal’s function as a flood control system through the integration of community amenities into a continuous floodwall system. The canal is envisioned to be organized around three different experiences:

• The Makai Canal is a nature park where the community can enjoy picnicking in the proposed picnic pavilions, jog, bicycle, and fish off of the canal’s edge or the proposed pedestrian bridge extending from Kalani Street across the canal.
• The Central Canal is an urban gathering place where visitors may congregate and watch performances, cross the canal at Kaumualii Street, attend block parties within the Shared Streets of Kohou and Kokea Streets, and enjoy a park set on piers above the canal.
• The Mauka Canal is designed with counter height seating overlooking the canal along both Kohou and Kokea Streets to provide a place where people can enjoy the canal.

A continuous pedestrian and bicycle trail will connect the Makai, Central, and Mauka Canal along the water’s edge, complemented by Complete Streets improvements on the adjacent Kohou and Kokea Streets. Due to the scope and scale of the proposed improvements, it is anticipated that the Resilient Master Plan will be implemented in phases: (1) clean water, (2) Central Canal, (3) Makai Canal, and (4) Mauka Canal. A rough order of magnitude cost estimate was completed for each phase, resulting in a total estimate range of $226,509,320 to $258,188,180 for the project, depending on the method of dredging disposal and final floodwall type selection.

THE RESILIENT MASTER PLAN  

Final Report – January 2022

OTHER PLANS

Kalihi Neighborhood TOD Plan – March 2017

Kalihi-Palama Action Plan – September 2004