Traffic around Hilo Harbor has been a headache for years.
Now the state is taking a major step to fix it, but the solution could displace about 15 businesses and a church.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation is moving forward with a $62 million expansion of Hilo Harbor after negotiations to buy nearby property stalled. Instead of waiting for voluntary sales, the state plans to use eminent domain, a legal process that allows government to acquire private land for public projects while paying owners fair compensation.
The project is designed to untangle one of Hilo's busiest bottlenecks. Plans call for new truck-turning lanes, space for semi-trucks waiting to enter the harbor, and dedicated staging areas for buses. The goal is to reduce congestion caused by cargo trucks, cruise ships, and everyday traffic all competing for the same roads.
For businesses on the affected properties, though, the project means uncertainty. Owners and tenants will eventually have to relocate if the acquisitions move forward.
The expansion highlights a challenge Hawaii faces again and again: improving aging infrastructure often means making difficult tradeoffs for the people and businesses already there.