Take a Road Trip on the H-3
After settling into the their Hawaiian accommodation and taking in a panoramic sunset with Mai Tai in hand, many guests find themselves wanting to explore the rest of the island of Oahu by car. Completed in 1997, Oahu's H-3 boasts of some of the most breathtaking views of Hawaii's most populated island and offers a wide-range of scenery, from the high rises dominating the more populous areas like Honolulu, to the more quiet and pristine areas of the island dotted with pineapple fields and small roadside shops offering quick and inexpensive local cuisine.The H-3 is also known as the John A. Burns freeways; John A. Burns was Hawaii's first governor and served the state for three terms. Over the years, the H-3 has been renamed "The Road to Nowhere" by many locals. This is just a bit of Hawaiian humor, as the road, at 15.3 miles, moves through some of the most scenic areas of the island. The H-3 starts in Halawa, which is not far from the airport. Many visitors to the island find a short drive on the H-3 a perfect way to begin their Hawaiian holiday. From the area around the airport, the H-3 climbs into the lush green postcard-like mountains, dotted with an array of native floral and fauna. The H-3 then bisects the Koolau Range at the Tetsuo and Hospital Rock tunnels. This scenery is this area is classic Hawaii. On one side the dramatic blue beauty of the Pacific Ocean and on the other the green of the towns and valleys below. The short, yet stunning drive, comes to an end at the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. The helpful officers will be happy to assist you back to the H-3 or any other intended destination.
Although the H-3 is recognized for both its favorable historical and environmental components, at a price tag of 1.3 billion dollars, it held the title of the most costly highway in the United States, until Boston toppled Hawaii's record when it begin the "Big Dig." One factor that weighs in on its cost is its construction using primarily tunnels and viaducts. Two products frequently used in projects of this magnitude are precast concrete and a precast stormwater interceptor, which is used in concrete heavy areas where water cannot be absorbed into the earth. There are many dependable providers of this technology today, and it is available across the U.S. from Northern California to Arizona precast, to, yes, even Honolulu Hawaii precast concrete sources.
Speeders beware in the state of Hawaii. Hawaiians take pride in practicing a slower pace of life, and their speed limits reflect that twin desire. Hawaii was the last of the 50 states to maintain a national maximum speed of 55 miles per hour. In 2002, responding to public outrage over the temporary use of speed cameras, the Hawaiian Department of Transportation increased the speed limit to 60 miles per hour in a few areas. Needless to say, the beauty of Hawaii is one place where you will want to slow you pace to take in the enormity and tranquility of the your surroundings.
