HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Heads up to drivers the state has begun repaving a busy street in the Ward area. While the work is appreciated by those who live and work there, many say more needs to be done to make it safer.
Anyone who's driven down Queen Street in recent years can see it fallen into disrepair: the road is uneven, with large cracks and gapping potholes. It also lacks space for pedestrians to walk safely in the area.
The state and city have started a week-long resurfacing project Monday night to iron out some of those issues according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesperson Shelly Kunishige.
"Queen Street, especially the areas where we're doing the project, between Cooke Street and Kamakee are pretty beat up," Kunishige explained. "So, we're going to do resurfacing and just get it into a condition where it's a little bit better for the people that work in the area and do business there."
Work will be done from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. August 12 through 16, weather permitting.
Kunishige said they'll start on the Cooke Street side, closing one lane at a time, keeping the other lane open for traffic.
Honolulu resident Wesley Suzawa said he loves the repaving but thinks they should do more.
"I think they should have sidewalks as a bare minimum for pedestrians and people that love dogs," Suzawa added.
Business owners and residents said safety is a big concern.
"I feel that it's dangerous for pedestrians," Flexa manager Angela Chung said. "In the traffic time, there's a lot of cars and I see a lot of people walking on the road."
Tom Tomimbang, co-owner of 808 Gunclub said that isn't the only issue.
"Any time there's road improvements I'm all for that," Tomimbang said. "Paving is probably on the bottom cause we have drainage issues every time it rains it floods around here."
Kunishige said this project is a short-term fix. They are working with the city to do more extensive improvements.
"We're going to work with them on the longer-term plan for the complete streets in the area and seeking federal funding," she explained.
Once resurfacing is done, she said the city will re-stripe the road providing dedicated space for cyclists and pedestrians.