A federal fund that aims to support infrastructure projects across the country has awarded $50 million to two separate projects in Hawaiʻi.
The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RISE) grant program is a $2.2 billion fund dedicated to aid regions in persistent poverty or those that have been historically disadvantaged.
A total of $25 million will go toward a pedestrian and bike bridge across the Ala Wai Canal, connecting Kalaimoku Street in Waikīkī to University Avenue. Plans to construct the 300-foot asymmetrical concrete cable-stayed bridge are estimated at $63 million, which the grant money hopes to help with.
The other half of the federal allotment goes toward the first of a five-phase project to extend Līloa Drive in Kīhei, Maui. The project extends Līloa Drive by 2,900 feet and plans to add two more roundabouts.
Jordan Molina, the director of Public Works for the county of Maui, said the road extension will alleviate traffic and connect a larger segment of the residential area with existing commercial land. The road also plans to include a bike and pedestrian path.
Molina said the federal grant will allow them to focus on other projects to improve the community.
“Without this grant, we would have had to stretch existing resources to cover the project, which means less funding for other projects. This helps us to keep moving and keep the momentum of all our projects going,” he said.
