WAILUKU, Maui — Hawaii Superferry's decision to launch tomorrow will not affect the state Department of Transportation's compliance with a Maui court order issued Thursday requiring the agency to reconfigure the intersection of Ka'ahumanu and Pu'unene avenues, where vehicles leaving the ferry will enter public roads.

Judge Joel August ordered that the changes be made before the start of ferry service.

DOT spokesman Scott Ishikawa said the work will be done today and that the job was scheduled before the company changed its start date from Tuesday to tomorrow.

So, starting tomorrow, motorists will see a new traffic pattern at the Ka'ahumanu and Pu'unene intersection.

For outbound traffic on the north spur of Pu'unene Avenue entering Ka'ahumanu Avenue, the inside lane will be designated for left turns only and the outer lane will be marked for vehicles headed straight or making a right turn.

For northbound traffic on Pu'unene Avenue entering Ka'ahumanu Avenue on the other side of the intersection, there will be two left-turn lanes and a shared straight-through and right turn lane.

The existing two southbound lanes of Pu'unene Avenue near the corner of Burger King will be reduced to one lane because of the new lane configuration.

The DOT is advising motorists to exercise caution in the area because of the changes.

August's ruling stems from a court case filed by the Maui Tomorrow Foundation, the Kahului Harbor Coalition and Friends of Haleakala National Park in a dispute over an environmental assessment for a group of projects contained in the DOT's Kahului Harbor Master Plan 2025. One of the projects already completed is a bridge over a drainage canal that will be used by vehicles going to and from the ferry.

The judge earlier ruled that the DOT's environmental assessment of the master plan projects was inadequate with respect to potential traffic impacts. The order released Thursday also requires the DOT to post police officers to direct traffic during ferry operations, if needed, and to monitor the intersection.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.