With the two-year mark fast approaching, the Hawai'i County Department of Public Works continues to repair roads, bridges, culverts and drainage ditches damaged by the October 2006 earthquakes, with federal funds paying for a large percentage of the work.

In 2006, Public Works estimated repairs would cost $7.2 million with reimbursements from two Federal agencies — the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — to repair 43 earthquake-related projects within Public Works jurisdiction, according to a new release from Big island officials..

For some of the repair jobs, FHWA is paying 80 percent of the the repair project costs and the county 20 percent. In other cases, FEMA covers 75 percent of the costs and the county 25 percent.

Public Works has completed 21 of the 34 FEMA-funded projects at a cost of $798,347.10. FEMA granted the County a year's extension to April 2009 to complete the remaining 13 earthquake-related projects. The extension includes FEMA's approval of recent price increases, permission to add hazard mitigation into the design, and ongoing coordination for surveyors, designs and engineering consultants. Cost estimates are still coming in and will exceed engineer's estimates due to increases in oil prices, cost of materials and wages.

FHWA-funded repairs in North Kona are not scheduled for repair work yet. The 2006 estimated cost was $5.339 million for nine projects. Costs are expected to rise, and additional approvals will be necessary before construction can begin. Reports and studies for nine FHWA projects are under way to meet Federal requirements before construction can begin.

Repairs to the worst of the earthquake-damaged roads and guardrails in Hawi, North Kohala, and Nani Waimea subdivision in South Kohala were completed the first week in June.

These repairs included Reinforcing an embankment, resurfacing cracked pavement, and replacing guardrails in Hawi along Kynnersley Road between telephone poles 234 and 233, on Puainanani Street and Ka Makana Place and repairing the road shoulder and cracked pavement on Ka'auhuhu Homestead road, just off Kynnersley Road.

The cost for these projects was $118,364, of which FEMA is paying 75 percent and County taxpayers 25 percent.