Honolulu Rail Expands With Four New Stations
The oft-criticized Honolulu Rail project’s next stops will be at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the airport, Lagoon Drive and the Middle Street Transit Center.
Chinatown. Photo: Andy Stenz – The Image Group – tighawaii.com
The Honolulu rail system, aka Skyline, is on track to launch its highly anticipated second phase in October, adding four new stations at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Lagoon Drive and the Middle Street Transit Center.
The 5.2-mile eastward extension comes more than two years after the rail began serving East Kapolei through Aloha Stadium.
Major details have been added as part of the rail’s second phase, including the world’s deepest cast-in-place concrete column foundation (a staggering 357 feet deep) between Middle Street and Pu‘uhale Road.
The third phase of construction, scheduled to begin later this year, will introduce six more stations along a 3-mile route between Middle Street and the Civic Center. Crews are already at work drilling shafts and installing columns along Nimitz Highway toward Halekauwila Street, and relocating utilities along Dillingham Boulevard. That part of the project is expected to be completed by mid-2031.
Makalapa, Pearl Harbor. Photo: Andy Stenz – The Image Group – tighawaii.com
The Skyline still faces high-profile hurdles, however. The current total project cost is approximately $10 billion, about $5 billion over budget. There are also multiple lawsuits by developers alleging mismanagement by the city and Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
HART CEO and executive director Lori Kahikina says HART is committed to extending the rail to Ala Moana Center, “a major transportation hub that would connect the rail with bus routes serving Waikīkī and other popular destinations.”
HART also supports extending the rail to UH Mānoa and past East Kapolei.
Route Map
Cathy Cruz-George is a contributor to HONOLULU Magazine.
