Skip to main content

Hawaii Route 7310 and former Hawaii Route 66

By

Hawaii Route 7310 is a 1-mile State Highway which connects from Interstate H-201/Moanalua Freeway south via Puuloa Road in western Honolulu to Hawaii Route 92/Nimitz Highway.  Hawaii Route 7310 is all that remains active in the Hawaii State Highway System out of what comprised former Hawaii Route 66.  Hawaii Route 66 once continued south of Hawaii Route 92 via Lagoon Drive.  Pictured above is a remaining Hawaii Route 66 shield which was located on Hawaii Route 92/Nimitz Highway westbound.  


This page is part of the Gribblenation Hawaii Roads series.  A compellation of all Hawaii-related media from both Gribblenation and RoadwayWiz can be found by clicking here. 



Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 7310 and former Hawaii Route 66

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 O'ahu shows the future corridor of Hawaii Route 66 on Puuloa Road as Hawaii Route 105.  A full version of the 1946 Army Map of O'ahu 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 Puuloa Road it was not assigned one of the initial post-1955 Hawaii Route numbers.  

Puuloa Road and Lagoon Drive can be seen on the 1959 Gousha Highway Map of Hawaii without a Hawaii Route number.  Lagoon Drive is noted as being the access road for the Naval Seaplane Terminal at Honolulu International Airport  



According to hawaiihighways.com Hawaii Route 62 first appears on the 1962 State Highway Map along Puuloa Road and Lagoon Drive.  Hawaii Route 62 is seen on the 1969 and 1970 State Highway Maps of Hawaii.  Hawaii Route 66 is noted in 1960s era planning documents to be planned to for deletion from Federal Aid System and not transferred to the Honolulu County Route System (which occurred during 1969.  

Notably Hawaii Route 66 is shown only aligned on Puuloa Road on the 1968 USGS Map of Honolulu.


It is unclear when Hawaii Route 66 on Puuloa Road was reassigned as Hawaii Route 7310 but the former designation doesn't appear on Puuloa Road on the 1981 USGS Map of Honolulu.


Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 7310

As noted above a Hawaii Route 66 shield can be found on westbound Hawaii Route 92/Nimitz Highway as it approaches the Lagoon Drive/Puuloa Road junction.  The current field signage implies that Hawaii Route 66 exists in both directions whereas the reality is that Hawaii Route 7310 only exists via Puuloa Road northbound. 


Hawaii Route 7310 northbound on Puuloa Road is signed as "To Interstate H-201."  One Hawaii Route 7310 shield can be found directing northbound traffic to Tripler Hospital approaching the terminus at Interstate H-201.  Note: state maintenance of Hawaii Route 7310 appears to end as Puuloa Road becomes Jarrett White Road.  According to hawaiihighways.com Jarrett White Road is maintained as unsigned Hawaii Route 7345 in the Hawaii State Highway inventory to Tripler Hospital.  It is unclear if Jarrett White Road was ever part of Hawaii Route 66.  




From Interstate H-201 Exit 3 is signed as access to Hawaii Route 7310 via Puuloa Road.  Traffic heading towards Tripler Hospital is directed to take Puuloa Road north and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is directed to take Puuloa Road south.  

Hawaii Route 7310 and Puuloa Road southbound terminate at Hawaii Route 92/Nimitz Highway.  Traffic can continue south onto former Hawaii Route 66 on Lagoon Drive.  

During June 2019 Dan Murphy of the Roadwaywiz YouTube channel (and Gribblenation) featured real time drives on Hawaii Route 7310.  Below Hawaii Route 7310/Puuloa Road can be viewed northbound.  

Below Hawaii Route 7310//Puuloa Road can be viewed southbound. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rep. Sue Myrick's letter to Gov. Easley and Sect. Tippett published in Charlotte Observer

By
US. Representative Sue Myrick's (R-Charlotte) letter to North Carolina's Governor Mike Easley and NC Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett was published in the Friday, November 30th edition of the Charlotte Observer . Why are we delaying the completion of 1-485 in Charlotte again? I read in The Charlotte Observer how rising prices of materials are leading to the delay. Why didn't these same rising costs delay the loops in Fayetteville and Wilmington? Why are we building loops in Fayetteville and Wilmington before we complete the one in Charlotte? We were working on the one in Charlotte back when I was mayor. That was 20 years ago! ... Last I looked Charlotte was the largest city in the state. There seems to be no recognition of that fact in Raleigh. No recognition that we are at a standstill with traffic. No recognition that we have a traffic problem. Nor is there any recognition of the fact that the state DOT utterly botched up the southern leg of our yet to be completed ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Sandstone Falls

By
The New River, which runs through New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, is best known for its dramatic rapids and whitewater adventures.  Those features begin at one of the river's widest points: Sandstone Falls. From the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk a look at just a small part of the falls. Though the vertical drop of roughly 20 feet is less than many other well-known waterfalls in the state, the falls' expanse, where the river approaches 1500 feet wide, makes Sandstone Falls impressive.   The Boardwalk Trail leads to a better vantage point of the overall falls. It is a great spot for photography, fishing, or laying out in the sun. Access to the falls is relatively easy: from Hinton, cross the New River on Highway 20, then turn right onto CR 26 and follow New River Road to the Sandstone Falls Parking Area. The Island Loop Trail is a short detour off the Boardwalk Trail and shows a quieter side of the area. At Sandstone Falls, you will find a variety of activities fr...
Post a Comment
Read more

I-785 first "signed" nine years ago Friday.

By
This is where Google news alerts really come in handy. It appears that nine years ago tomorrow, there was a ceremony 'dedicating' US 29 from Greensboro to Danville as Interstate 785. From the opening of a 1998 Greensboro News & Record Article: "Say goodbye to U.S. 29. Say hello to Interstate 785. In a name change billed as an enhancement of "economic development," Reps. Virgil Goode of Virginia and Richard Burr of North Carolina will speak today at a ceremony marking the designation of U.S. 29 as part of the interstate highway system. It begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Piedmont Triad Visitors..." A few things have changed in the nine years. I'd love to say US 29 has now become fully integrated as Interstate 785, but that's not the item that is different today than nine years ago. Here's the change....North Carolina U.S. Representative Richard Burr is now North Carolina U.S. Senator Richard Burr. Other than that, there are a few ...
Post a Comment
Read more