A $10 million County Capital Improvement Program will be spent on the Big Island addressing short and long-term solutions to alleviate Waimea's traffic congestion.

So far, $795,000 has spent on a traffic study, environmental assessment and work with consultants who analyzed how to best use the roads.

The Public Works Department is recommending that the balance of $9,205,000 be spent on two short-term actions. One will be implemented in 2008 and the second could start construction in 2009.

1) Eliminate the unofficial parking on M'malahoa Highway fronting Waimea Elementary School to improve the traffic flow for left turns on to

Lindsey Road and through traffic along M'malahoa Highway. Road work would coincide with school vacation.

Waimea Elementary and Middle Schools have set up a tentative location for a safe drop off and pick up for parents who transport their children to school.

2) Construct an outbound lane within the County right-of-way in the Honoka`a direction from North Hawaii Community Hospital to the 56-mile marker. An Environmental Assessment (EA), preliminary engineering report, and a cost estimate for the five-lane configuration recommended in the Waimea Traffic Circulation Study will be developed. Construction of the additional outbound lane could begin in 2009.