Oahu Highways

Welcome to the Gribblenation Oahu Highways Page, your destination to find all things related to the road network of the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. Below you find a compilation of all existing Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway network of Oahu. Pictured above is northbound Hawaii Route 63 on the Likelike Highway descending from the John H. Wilson Tunnels of the Koolau Range towards Interstate H-3.

An intro the highway network of O'ahu

Prior to the Statehood the first signed highways within Hawaii Territory came into existence during World War II. During World War II the territory of Hawaii saw an influx of military activity following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Numerous Military Routes and early Hawaii Routes were signed through the Hawaiian Territory to aid military personnel in navigating the islands. Military Highways were assigned US Route style shields whereas lesser highways were assigned an early variation of what is now the Hawaii Route Spade.

A 1946 Army Map of the Island of Oahu shows the existing Military and Hawaii Routes during the World War II era. A full version of the 1946 Army Map of Oahu can be seen on hawaiihighways.com here.

Circa 1955 following the conclusion of World War II the United States Bureau of Public Roads renumbered the Hawaii Route System. The 1955 Hawaii Route Renumbering saw most of the conventions utilized by the current Hawaii State Route System established. Primary Hawaii Routes were given two digit numbers whereas Secondary Hawaii Routes were given three digit numbers. The Hawaii Routes were assigned in sequence for what Island/County they were located on coupled with what Federal Aid Program number they were tied to. In the case of Oahu the Island was assigned numbers in the range of 60-99.

The initial 1955 Hawaii Route network on Oahu can be viewed on the 1959 Gousha Road Map of Hawaii.

On August 21st, 1959 Hawaii became the 50th State which saw it's profile rise significantly. The Interstate System in Hawaii was authorized as part of the 1960 Statehood Act. The 1960 Statehood Act authorized Interstates H-1, H-2 and H-3 on the Island of Oahu. Interstate H-4 was proposed as a supplemental freeway in Honolulu during 1968 but was never approved for construction.

Interstate H-2 was fully completed and opened to traffic February 21st, 1977 which was followed by Intestate H-1 being fully completed by May 1986. On April 6th, 1988 the Honolulu Division Administrator of the Hawaii Department of Transportation submitted a request to the Federal Highway Administration to add entirety of Hawaii Route 78 and the Moanalua Freeway to the Interstate System as Interstate H-1A. On November 1st, 1989 The Federal Highway Administration informed the Hawaii Department of Transportation that Hawaii Route 78/Moanalua Freeway was approved to be added to the Interstate System as Interstate H-1A. On December 8th, 1990 the AASHTO Executive Committee approved the designation of Interstate H-201 on the Moanalua Freeway.

The corridor of Interstate H-3 was the most contentious of the constructed Interstates on Oahu and would open to traffic across the Koolau Range on December 12th, 1997.