The West side of O'ahu should soon see an improvement in its bus transit system. Construction on a regional hub for bus service in Makaha, Wai'anae and Nanakuli began Friday.

The Wai'anae Community Transit Center will be constructed on a portion of city-owned land next Wai'anae Mall.

"Right now, it's a vacant lot with weeds," said Mark Ma-tsunaga, city spokesman. "The terminal will be 100 yards from Farrington Highway, off Leihoku (Street)."

The transit center will cost more than $2 million and will take eight months to complete. It will include a bus circulation roadway with bus loading positions for up to seven bus routes.

The island platform will include bus shelters, a clock tower that will house electrical and irrigation control equipment, night area lighting and a real-time electronic bus schedule system, according to a city news release.

The center has been in the planning stage for a while, said James Burke, chief of the public transit division. "We finally cleared all the hurdles we had to clear," he said.

The center is out of the way of traffic and "is a more comfortable and safe place for people to wait," Burke said.

The transit system will also provide a place where buses can park and wait if they're ahead of schedule. Currently, the buses just continue on their route, Burke said.

"We're also building (the transit center) with extra space in case a private school bus company also wants to use it," he said.

The city plans to remove the bus stop in the area. Future improvements will include permanent restrooms and a park-and-ride lot for private vehicles.

Reach Brittany Yap at byap@honoluluadvertiser.com.