Ward Avenue Overpass Closes Nightly for Repaving
The Hawaii Department of Transportation is repaving the Ward Avenue overpass in three phases through November 19, 2026, with nightly closures on weeknights.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Home Renovation
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Is the timing of nightly Ward Avenue overpass closures acceptable to you?
The Hawaii Department of Transportation is closing the Ward Avenue overpass nightly from 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays for repaving work. The closures run through November 19, 2026, with no closures on Fridays, Saturdays, or November 10 and 11.
Why it matters
The DOT chose full nightly closures instead of contraflow lanes to speed up the repaving work. Drivers on Honolulu's Ward Avenue corridor will need to plan around detours during the overnight hours.
The overpass closes for eight hours each night from 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. across three phases, with each phase expected to take about a week. The project also includes bridge joint repair, manhole adjustments, and pavement markings.
The players
Hawaii Department of Transportation
The state agency responsible for maintaining Hawaii's highways, including the Ward Avenue overpass, and overseeing this repaving project.
The details
Repaving covers Ward Avenue from Kinau Street to the H-1 eastbound on-ramp, the overpass itself, and the Lunalilo Street intersection. Crews will also repair concrete on the bridge rails along the sidewalk and shoulder after the repaving is complete.
Timeline
Repaving is scheduled to start Wednesday night in the week of November 4, 2026.
No overpass closures will occur on November 10 and 11, 2026.
Nightly closures are scheduled to end on November 19, 2026.
Season Trajectory
The Ward Avenue overpass work continues a pattern of overnight arterial repaving used to limit daytime disruption on high-volume Honolulu roads. Its three-phase structure reflects the state's approach to keeping one lane of traffic moving near the H-1 interchange.
Drivers using Ward Avenue overnight should follow the posted detours through Kina'u Street, Pi'ikoi Street, and Lunalilo Street for mauka-bound traffic, or Emerson Street, Green Street, and Thurston Avenue for makai-bound traffic. Residents near the overpass should expect the work to run only on Sunday through Thursday nights.
The takeaway
Plan overnight routes around the Ward Avenue overpass on weeknights through November 19, 2026, using the posted detours. Keep an eye on the Hawaii Department of Transportation's schedule, since nightly closures pause on Fridays, Saturdays, and November 10 and 11.
What happens next
Nightly closures end on November 19, 2026, after repaving and bridge work across all three phases are finished.
Further reading
For related coverage of infrastructure work affecting homes and neighborhoods, see Home Renovation in Honolulu.
Live Poll
Is the timing of nightly Ward Avenue overpass closures acceptable to you?
