On Monday, crews will kick off a $10 million project to repave five Honolulu streets, adding to a convergence of construction work on thoroughfares from Kalihi to Mo'ili'ili that is expected to mean lane closures and traffic delays through the end of the year.

City officials say they are working to make sure the repairs don't affect rush-hour commutes. But some impact on drivers is inevitable, and merchants along some of the affected streets are worried about customers getting to their shops.

As always during such projects, drivers are being asked to find alternative routes. But they will be hard pressed to do so. Construction is under way on Beretania Street, Ala Moana and Nimitz Highway.

Work will start next week on a project that will affect portions of South, Ke'eaumoku, Rycroft and Sheridan streets, and University Avenue.

Meanwhile, crews are closing one lane in each direction along portions of Kapi'olani Boulevard to replace water and sewer lines, a project that is expected to be completed next summer.

The only alternatives for drivers in some places would be H-1 Freeway or King Street.

Delays are inevitable.

"When you're doing Beretania and Nimitz at the same time Kapi'olani is chewed up, you're bound to have slow-downs," said Tom Smyth, chairman of the Downtown Neighborhood Board.

PERFECT PAVING STORM?

City and state officials did not do an analysis of how the projects would cumulatively affect drive times, but they did study how to keep traffic moving around the individual projects, officials said. It's unclear why the projects were scheduled around the same time.

Marvin Char, chief of the civil division at the city Department of Design and Construction, said a consultant with the Kapi'olani project has agreed to monitor the various projects and alert the city with any concerns from drivers.

The five-street repaving project is expected to take about eight months, during which workers will also replace curbs, gutters and concrete bus pads along the streets.

Weekday construction on the roadways is set for 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but some repaving work will be done during the night to avoid traffic slow-downs.

City officials said drivers should expect periodic lane closures.

Shortly after the project starts, crews will start repaving stretches of Beretania Street, Ala Moana and Nimitz Highway.

MUCH NIGHT WORK

The $12.5 million project to repave Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana, between Fort and Pi'ikoi streets, started in May with gutter work, digging trenches to install new street lights and curb reconstruction.

Crews will start repaving the roadway in August, and will do much of their work at night. But at times, workers will have to shut down lanes during the day.

Meanwhile, repaving along Beretania Street is expected to start this summer, possibly as early as next month, with crews working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. The $9.8 million project stretches from Alapa'i Street to 'A'ala Park, and will be completed by November.

Gutter and curb work started last August on Beretania.

Char said there are other small-scale repaving projects set for this summer, but none that is expected to greatly affect traffic. The city is positioning off-duty police officers at each construction site to keep traffic moving, and to report if bigger problems arise.

Several businesses along University Avenue were surprised to hear about the upcoming repaving work, and said they're now worried what it will mean for their bottom line.

A UNIVERSITY-AREA FIRST

Many said they hope the work doesn't deter customers.

"This is the first time they've done major work like this in the area," said Rob Acoba, owner of East Side Grill at Puck's Alley on University Avenue.

The city said repaving work on University, from Coyne Street to Kuilei Street, will be done from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday through Friday morning. Most other work associated with the project will be done during the day.

Acoba said that will help businesses during the day, but could affect establishments such as East Side Grill, which are busiest at night and on weekends.

Gregg Mueller, president of the Old Town Mo'ili'ili Business Association, said several businesses affected by the work have mixed feelings about the repaving project, knowing it will hurt in the short-term and help in the long-run.

"While merchants are always concerned about disruption of business that may accompany repairs of this magnitude, members are also glad to have improvements to one of the main corridors to the neighborhood," Mueller said.

Ron Lockwood, chairman of the McCully/Mo'ili'ili Neighborhood Board, said he worries how the repaving work will affect traffic once public school and university students return to classes in late July and August.

"It's definitely going to be an impact," Lockwood said. "Are we concerned? Definitely."

So far, intermittent lane closures along Beretania Street have not greatly affected downtown Honolulu businesses, Smyth said.

For residents and commuters, the closures are likely to be a headache.

Any increase in lane closures, he added, aren't welcomed.

"There's no question, it does back up," Lockwood said.

But he added many realize that the work needs to be done.

Whenever there are back-ups on Beretania because of the project, commuters call a hot line set up for complaints. Project spokeswoman Amy Hirano fields those calls, and says backups are usually short-lived and quickly resolved.

"We're prepared to address any complaints," she said.

Hirano added that more than one lane will be closed at times on Beretania during the repaving work. But, she said, at least one lane will remain open.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.