Pilot program to alleviate congestion around Honolulu Harbor starts March 17

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) and Young Brothers (YB) announced a new pilot project starting March 17, 2025. As part of the pilot, YB will set up a mobile container at the HDOT weigh station on Sand Island, immediately before the Sand Island bridge, on Mondays and Thursdays between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. station to pre-check trucks heading to the YB facility at Piers 39-40.

“Nimitz Highway is among the top four locations for truck volume in the state with between 4,500 to 5,000 trucks driving this corridor daily,” said Hawai‘i Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen. “Our goal in partnering with YB for this pilot is to improve the flow of goods, safety, and traffic conditions for all who travel through this key corridor.”

The intention of the pre-check pilot is to improve safety and congestion on Nimitz Highway as it approaches Waiakamilo Street. HDOT and YB have received many community concerns about the backlog of trucks in the right lane on eastbound Nimitz Highway entering YB’s Nimitz Gate. Past attempts to address these concerns included communications to motor carriers and enforcement to ensure motor carriers did not park on Nimitz Highway prior to the opening of the gate.

The process for the pre-check pilot program beginning March 17 will be:

• On Mondays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., motor carriers carrying containers from either Matson or Pasha terminals to the YB facility at Piers 39-40 will be directed to the HDOT Sand Island weigh station to pre-check their equipment.
• Upon successful completion of the pre-check process, approved trucks will be permitted to enter YB’s Libby Gate on Auiki Street via its “fast flow” lane. Trucks that have not successfully completed the pre-check will be queued in an area off Auiki Street.
• During pilot hours:
  • No trucks will be checked in at YB’s Nimitz Gate.
  • There will be no exit through YB’s Libby Gate.

“Minimizing delays and improving access to our facilities will help create a more efficient and reliable experience for our trucking partners and customers,” said Chris Martin, vice president of operations for Young Brothers. “Through this effort with HDOT, we’re streamlining operations to support a smoother flow of cargo, ultimately benefiting businesses and communities across Hawai‘i.”

To support this pilot effort, the City and County of Honolulu will restrict parking along the makai curb of Auiki Street between Kalihi Street and Libby Street Monday through Friday between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 p.m.

The pilot will run as HDOT and YB assess its effectiveness in improving traffic flow and reducing congestion. Communications have been sent to YB customers to alert truckers to the changes to access to YB facilities.

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