The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) has announced intermittent full closures of Kailua Road (Route 61) at the intersections with Uluʻoa Street and Ulumanu Drive. The closures are scheduled for December 2 and December 4, to allow for the installation of traffic signal mast arms as part of an ongoing traffic signal project.
A mast arm is a structure that extends across the roadway to support traffic signals. Because these installations require working over the entire road, both directions on Kailua Road will be closed for up to five minutes at a time during each closure period. Work will take place at one intersection per day, focusing on one direction at a time.
On Tuesday, December 2, crews will begin work at the Uluʻoa Street intersection from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Kailua-bound lanes will close at 10 a.m. so workers can tighten bolts on the mast arm. At 10:45 a.m., the Honolulu-bound lanes will be closed for similar work. Right turn pockets onto Uluʻoa Street will remain accessible throughout these periods.
Work moves to Ulumanu Drive on Thursday, December 4, also from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Kailua-bound lanes at this intersection will close first for bolt tightening and installation, but right turns onto Ulumanu Drive will still be allowed. At 10:45 a.m., crews will close the Honolulu-bound lanes to complete work on that side; left turns onto Ulumanu Drive remain open during this phase. Although new traffic signals will be mounted on the mast arms upon installation, they will stay covered until they are activated.
Additional daily lane work may continue between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., affecting the left lane in either direction while curb improvements along medians are made. Other remaining tasks include widening turn pockets, installing striping and signs, removing raised crosswalks, and activating the new traffic signal system.
The estimated completion date for this project is now January 2026, which updates an earlier estimate of November 2025.
Special duty police officers will assist with traffic control and safety during construction periods. Electronic message boards are being used to notify motorists about closure details. Weekly lane closure information for O‘ahu can be found on HDOT’s website at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork/oahu/.
