(BIVN) – A 30-day public review and comment period is underway for a draft environmental assessment for the State of Hawaiʻi planned acquisition of private lands in order to expand Hilo Harbor.

The State Department of Transportation Harbors Division, with Bowers and Kubota Consulting, Inc., is proposing to acquire five parcels next to the harbor, along Kalanianaʻole Street, totaling about 9.38 acres of land.

“The acquisition of parcels would allow for the expansion of their Hilo Harbor facility so that improvements can be made to help alleviate traffic congestion and improve mobility along a section of that street,” reads a summary of the EA in the June 23 issue of The Environmental Notice. “The parcels would also provide increased cargo yard area to support operations. The acquired properties would be utilized to create a new stacking and storage lanes for semi-trailers, create a ground transportation staging area, include other roadway improvements, increase yard space for interisland and overseas cargo operations, and other accessory improvements.”

“A ground transportation staging area created would allow vehicles supporting cruise ship passengers to relocate off of Kalanianaʻole Street and other nearby areas while waiting or dropping off visitors that contribute to congestion in this area,” the draft EA states.

There are currently various businesses and industrial land uses occurring on the properties that are proposed for acquisition. These include auto repair and parts storage, a liquid and compressed gas dispenser, and the Kūhiō Industrial Park which is comprised of several warehouses and buildings for use by various business tenants.

The document states that “the process to acquire the properties is projected to be completed between one to two years or by the end of calendar year 2025,” with completion of the design and build of the new harbor facilities before 2030. “The total order of magnitude cost estimate for this project is about $62.0 million,” the EA says.

Public comments on the Draft EA are due by July 24, 2023.