Why driving in Hawaii sucks...

[marauder307]

Because the road infrastructure on Oahu is at the point of collapse.

Here's the scene: Local U.S. Army unit is moving some rented commercial heavy equipment---in this case, a large backhoe/crane/bucket loader-type thingy. Evidently they didn't measure their height before swinging out onto the ONLY east-west expressway on the island. The end result is this:

http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=5369720

http://www.paradisecruisers.com/SMF/index.php?topic=5208.0

They're calling it the single worst traffic day in the history of Oahu. Too damn many people on an island that measures 33 miles from end to end (that's about 4 seconds of WOT on a Trilogy MM), not enough roads, and pi$$-poor urban planning on the ones they DO have. The H-1 is a federal road---why are there pedestrian overpasses on a FEDERAL road? (the answer, BTW, is: because HI's too far away from DC and the feds aren't paying any damn attention.:mad2: )

God I hate this place. Paradise, my stinkin' a$$...somebody shoulda locked me up for even thinking about coming out here. I plan on making good my escape at the earliest opportunity.:fire:

[SergntMac]

Man-oh-man, this isn't good news.

Oh well...

[max454]

well, since winter is too dam close here, ill trade places with you

[Petrograde]

I was never stationed there,..

but I always heard "it's a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't wanna be stationed there."

[KAILUAZ]

Yeah, Oahu is the American Tokyo. Last time I was back even Kailua was packed, I miss living there but glad I'm gone.

[VNMUS]

At least it wasn't this bad. This happened in Nebraska earlier this year...

How fast do you have to be going to cause that much damage???

[Blackened300a]

At least it wasn't this bad. This happened in Nebraska earlier this year...

That was loading error, the boom is always to be facing towards the rear
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=99 06&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1157581202

As for the Hawaii accident. They are military men not truck drivers, 13'6" is the limit anything higher and prepare for the bump of your life.
Looked like they were more worried about overhang then they were about the height, that boom should have angled down more and the hammer would have slid between the cats.

http://khnl.images.worldnow.com/images/5369199_BG2.jpg

[Bluerauder]

They are military men not truck drivers, 13'6" is the limit anything higher and prepare for the bump of your life.
Maybe things have changed; but when I was in US Army heavy construction units, every movement of oversized vehicles/equipment required a convoy clearance. Specific routing and clearances were checked along the entire route. Loads were measured side-to-side and top-to-bottom. Escorts were required. This backhoe load qualified for such. Somebody somewhere screwed the pooch on this load. :nono:

Several years ago a similar incident happened on the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) on the west side of town. Similar circumstances with an oversized civilian/commercial load. Unfortunately, the pedestrian bridge came off the supports and dropped on the highway during rush hour. I recall several fatalities in that one. The one in Hawaii could have been much worse.

[bryanthomas]

Yeah, Oahu is the American Tokyo. Last time I was back even Kailua was packed, I miss living there but glad I'm gone.

I whole-heartedly agree with this!

And I can relate to you experience too Marauder307. Ohau is a very small island with a lot of people, and not a lot of pre-planning for exponential growth. But if it get too crowded for ya, go visit Big Island! :D It's great there and not conjested!

[ckadiddle]

Yikes. Gonna happen here sooner or later.

[ROADWARRIORSVT]

Too damn many people on an island that measures 33 miles from end to end

What island are you on? Molokai? :rolleyes: HeHe!! Its actually a little over double that, but still not large enough to have over 900,000 residents. :(

[marauder307]

Bryan Thomas: Yah...I went to Da Big Island earlier this summer for my honeymoon. Not congested, but there's only one road runnin' around the place and it's 2-lane only...spent a lot of time stuck behind big trucks that couldn't get over 40 mph. At least the scenery's good to look at while yer just moseyin'....

Bluerauder: It's coming out in the local press out here that these guys basically didn't do any of the things they should have done. No route clearance. No paperwork filed with anybody. Failure to properly secure the load. I don't even think they had the escort vehicles (the ones with the orange lights and the "OVERSIZE LOAD" signs running in front and behind). The unit here is an engineer unit, complete with heavy movers, so these guys should have known better. My wife is an ex-Army Quartermaster Corps officer...she was pretty much disgusted with this whole business.

Howzit Tommy! Man,....you musta put up about 12 hours of overtime. When I left Pearl that night at 9, the Kam was backed up from the Arizona Memorial and Halawa Drive all the way past the airport and down the H-1 viaduct...freakin' nuts. :eek: I'm glad I was headed east...I guess bein' in Hawaii Kai has some benefits after all...Heard HPD had to deal with an accident at Kipapa Gulch; I think that's pretty close to ya...looks like it was a seriously crazy day...

[ROADWARRIORSVT]

Man, I'm so glad I live and work in central Oahu. I wasn't affected by that mess. It basically shut down the whole island for a while. A co-worker said he tried going home around the Kaneohe side and it was bumper to bumper over there too!! :mad: Did you hear the Governor apoligize for not having a contingency plan in place? I don't know what could be done. If we don't have alternate routes, ....we don't have alternate routes.:nono:

[SergntMac]

I don't know what could be done. If we don't have alternate routes, ....we don't have alternate routes.:nono:What...no ferry service around the Island?

[ROADWARRIORSVT]

HaHa!! Nah, not even a ferry service between islands as of now. One is supposed to open 7/07. Since our only racetrack closed in 4/06, plenty of racers will be going to the other island's racetracks,...me included!!!