The ongoing public debate about allowing more new housing development projects made the front page news of the Honolulu Advertiser today.  Traffic woes have plagued the Ewa Beach development area with little resolution for immediate infrastructure improvement, and there are plans for another 20,000 new homes in the Ewa Plain area.  These traffic woes combined with the developments in Leeward Coast, Makakilo, and Kapolei, have significantly added to the commute times and headaches for those that live in Central Oahu and the Ewa-Kapolei areas.  The infrastructure improvements haven’t kept up with the development of the area.   Now the next two big projects that will effect Central Oahu residents comes to the forefront for debate. 

On one hand the Waiawa Ridge and Koa Ridge projects will add more new and much needed homes to the mix for Oahu residents?  Both projects could add a total of 17,500 homes to opposite sides of the H-2 freeway below Mililani, adding to the short supply of housing that has seen prices increase further than expected and giving island residents more options to choose from.

On the other hand the projects will add significantly to the already heavily traveled H-1 and H-2 freeways, especially at the H-1/H-2 merge that will add those commuters to the already heavily traveled highway into Honolulu.  Read It’s a tale of 2 ridges - and 17,500 homes for an insightful look into the ongoing housing development debate on Oahu.  If you are planning on relocating to the island and aren’t familiar with the islands housing layout, this is a good read to see some of the issues at hand.