A wetter-than-normal winter as forecast could further delay the long-awaited reopening of Round Top Drive beyond the end of the year.

The road has been closed since April 2006, after heavy rain and flooding washed out and weakened some sections. Dozens of residents who live above the closure have been forced to take the long way around the mountain — via Tantalus Drive — adding up to 25 minutes to their commute.

Emergency vehicles have also had to go the long way. And when Tantalus Drive is closed — because of a downed tree or car accident — residents can get stuck for hours on the road.

Eugene Lee, director of the city Department of Design and Construction, said the road work is on target to finish by Dec. 31 — weather permitting.

"Obviously, if we have another 40 days of rain, that would definitely impact the schedule," Lee said. He added it's up to the contractors to stop work because of rain. And whether they continue in the rain depends on what they're working on.

Forecasters are predicting a wet winter in the Islands from December to April, but it's unclear how much rain will come down, said National Weather Service hydrologist Kevin Kodama.

Still, Lee hopes the weather won't foil the reopening.

"We've had a pretty dry spell," he said.

The $5.5 million road project has already faced several delays.

Construction started in January and was originally supposed to be completed in four months, Lee said. But during the work, inspectors found longitudinal cracks in the road, he said.

So crews said the work would be finished in September. But an additional inspection found problems with a retaining wall along the roadway, Lee said.

Residents say they're not counting on a December reopening.

"Nobody here is holding their breath," said Jim Shon, president of Friends of Tantalus, "but we're crossing our fingers. It's just put a real stress on everybody. Everybody is being inconvenienced."

Shon said the biggest concern is emergency access.

Ambulances and fire trucks must go the long way to get to homes just beyond the road closure because the city has said the road is not safe to drive on. Shon said the bigger worry is what happens if Tantalus Drive is closed during an emergency.

"To date, they have not figured out how to open Round Top in an emergency," Shon said. "This has been a bone of contention."

The closed portion of Round Top is just before the first hairpin turn mauka of 'Aina Lani Way. At the work site Thursday, crews were installing rebar to stabilize part of the roadway. Several large mounds of dirt filled the lane heading up Round Top and spilled into the lane going the other direction. Crews kept working despite a steady rain.

Sue Hillman, who lives on Tantalus, said a few good things have come out of the closure. For one, many have seen a decline in racing in the area. Also, she said, Round Top Drive — normally a heavily used route — is getting less wear and tear.

"We don't have the racers. We don't have the motorcycles," said Hillman, who lives below the roadwork on Round Top Drive.

Alice Lunt, president of the Tantalus Community Association, also said many residents have gotten used to the inconvenience, though they look forward to Round Top reopening.

Lunt visited the construction site last week and said she was happy with what she saw.

"I'm feeling pretty confident," that it will be reopened Dec. 31, she said. "There's been a lot of progress."

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.