Once again Hawaii government proves Mrs. Gump right. The Hawaii Department of Transportation is resurfacing Kula Highway. Yea.
Unfortunately, they are also reducing the already ridiculously low speed limits from predominantly 45 miles per hour to 35 mph and eliminating every passing area along the entire length of the highway. Now, this completely ignores the federal 85th percentile speed recommendation, which says that the safest speed limit for a given section of roadway is that at which 85 percent of the drivers travel (about 50 mph on Kula Highway. I drive it twice a day) and also ignores the fact that the highway is the primary artery for cement trucks, 18-wheelers and other slow vehicles going Upcountry.
The problem with that, of course, is that by reducing entrance speed onto an incline, the speed to which the truck slows is reduced even more, thereby backing up more and more cars behind them. The truck drivers are usually pretty considerate and try to move to the right to allow cars to pass where passing is allowed. Unfortunately, the Department of Transportation has eliminated all of the passing zones.
See, Mrs. Gump was right.
Al Rabold
Kula
