I’ve made it apparent long before I had a blog, that I believe this second Superferry is being brought over here primarily for Military transport, with a belief that it will be used more so for people.
Now it looks like the Stryker Brigade is going to have direct access to it with a 27 mile, military only, road from PTA up on Mauna Kea down to Kawaihae harbor.
Today’s Hawaii Tribune doesn’t really address the Superferry as a reason for this new 27 mile road… but why else would it be built directly to the Harbor?
…The Army is planning more than $100 million in upgrades to PTA, including a battle complex area, a heavy-caliber live-fire training range and a new 27-mile trail from Kawaihae Harbor to the training area. But those projects are geared to use by the 5th Stryker Brigade…
Filed under: Kona, Rumors, State Affairs, Superferry, Transportation | Tagged: Kona, Rumors, State Affairs, Superferry, Transportation |
Hawaii News and Island Information 
We’ve known about the new road for the Strykers for some time, over here in Waikoloa. We are thrilled, as you may imagine since there is never progress on any of the following: Kawaihae harbor improvements, Kawaihae by-pass road, Kawaihae intersection improvement, UXO (unexploded ordinance) removal and DU (depleted uranium) testing and removal.
PTA and the Stryker expansion are directly mauka of Waikoloa. You can see it from my house.
If they wanted to fix the harbor to replace the pier that went sunk in the earthquake, and to get ready for the Superferry: they could use Army money easy. No, that would benefit everyone, not just the Army.
New story…
A couple of weeks ago in the new workforce housing development in Waikoloa, Kamakoa, one UXO decided to be a XO and scared people witless. Now they are blasting blue rock in Kamakoa and will hopefully blast some ordinance.
Boys and their toys: Strykers, bombs, explosives, heavy equipment and uranium spotter rounds.
The new roadway would replace the existing so-called “tank trail” (although never used by tanks which don’t train at PTA) to provide an alternate road for military convoys from the harbor to the training area. The existing one fell into disuse, partly because it was not maintained and partly because it was compromised by new developments and easements. The new one has been in planning for a number of years. Superferry or not, the military will continue to run Schofield-based convoys to PTA, and the road is designed to provide the hummers, trucks, Strykers, etc. a way there without impacting civilian traffic.
Damon – Too much federal money going into both these projects at the same time, has me suspicious.