The Hawaii Department of Transportation will close Farrington Highway around the clock from Monday, September 14, 2026, between the east and west ends of Old Fort Weaver Road. In a September 1 notice, HDOT said the full closure is for reconstruction of the Honouliuli Bridge and is expected to last about a year.
West Oahu drivers heading toward Honolulu, the airport, or Kapolei should plan on the posted detour along Old Fort Weaver Road. Anyone building an Oahu itinerary that uses Ko Olina, Ewa, or Kapolei as a base needs this date on the calendar before a rental car day.
- Where: Farrington Highway at Honouliuli Bridge, between the east and west ends of Old Fort Weaver Road in Ewa.
- When: 24/7 full closure beginning Monday, September 14, 2026, estimated to last about a year.
- Detour: Old Fort Weaver Road, then back onto Farrington at the far end of the detour.
- Who is affected: West Oahu drivers, airport runs, buses, and visitors using Kapolei or Ewa as a base.
- Next step: Leave extra time from September 14 and follow HDOT signs onto Old Fort Weaver Road.
Farrington Highway Closes September 14 for a Year
HDOT called this a full closure, not a single lane. Both directions of Farrington Highway shut between the two ends of Old Fort Weaver Road so crews can rebuild Honouliuli Bridge. The department said signs are already posted. All work is weather permitting.
This stretch sits on the Farrington Highway Widening project from Fort Weaver Road to Kapolei Golf Course, near the University of Hawaii West Oahu. HDOT said the job will take the two lane highway to three lanes, with a center two way turn lane, plus bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides from Kapolei to Ewa. The project started May 1, 2025 and is estimated to finish in April 2028.
Old Fort Weaver Road Is the Posted Detour
Drivers will leave Farrington, use Old Fort Weaver Road, and reenter Farrington at the opposite end of that loop. HDOT did not publish a minute by minute delay estimate. A year of 24/7 closure on a two lane west Oahu highway is still a real time cost for anyone going to town, to HNL, or out to the resorts.
Hawaii News Now covered an earlier phase of the same widening job in July 2025, when HDOT closed only the eastbound lanes near West Loch Estates and sent traffic onto Old Fort Weaver Road. That independent report said westbound lanes stayed open then. The September 2026 notice is different: the highway is fully closed in both directions.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Drive between Kapolei, Ewa, and Honolulu after September 14 | Use the Old Fort Weaver Road detour and add time. Do not expect Farrington to reopen at night. |
| Need HNL from west Oahu on a tight flight | Leave earlier. The detour is 24/7 for about a year, including red eye hours. |
| Ride TheBus on this stretch | HDOT said the bus stop on the closed segment moves to Old Fort Weaver Road. |
| Can shift the trip to H-1 | Use H-1 where it still serves your origin. Farrington at Honouliuli is the closed piece, not the entire west Oahu network. |
Honouliuli Bridge Work Takes the Full Road Width
HDOT said this phase reconstructs Honouliuli Stream Bridge. The wider project also includes Kalo’i Stream Bridge. Crews will temporarily move Hawaiian Electric poles and a 36 inch waterline so drilling can proceed. Work starts on the mauka side of the bridge, then the makai side.
Concrete support blocks measuring 14 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 7.5 feet tall will take up the entire width of the highway. That is why HDOT is not leaving a travel lane. The department said the full closure saves $500,000. Total project cost is $138 million, with the City and County of Honolulu putting in $15 million.
Those figures are HDOT’s. They do not change the traveler decision. The useful fact is the geometry: the blocks occupy the full pavement, so there is no squeeze-by lane at night or on weekends.
West Oahu Drivers and Airport Runs Share the Hit
Farrington is the surface route between Kapolei, Ewa, Waipahu, and the rest of Oahu. A year of full closure at Honouliuli sits on the path many visitors use between Ko Olina or Kapolei hotels and Honolulu attractions. It also sits on the drive to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport from those same bases.
People staying in town and heading west for Oahu day trips hit the same pinch from the other direction. HDOT did not say H-1 will absorb the extra cars without delay. Treat the detour as slower, especially at commute hours, until a later notice says otherwise.
Weekly lane closure updates live on HDOT’s Oahu roadwork page, which is linked from the September 1 notice. That page is the place to check whether the year-long window has slipped. The department already warned that weather can move the dates.
Bus Stops Move While the Highway Stays Closed
HDOT said the bus stop on the affected portion of Farrington Highway will relocate to Old Fort Weaver Road for the duration of the closure. Riders who board there for town, the airport, or Kapolei should confirm the stop in the transit app after September 14. The notice does not name a new stop ID.
What is confirmed is the start date, the 24/7 full closure, the Old Fort Weaver detour, the Honouliuli Bridge reason, and the relocated bus stop. What is still open is the exact last day of the year-long window and how much extra drive time the detour will add at rush hour. HDOT did not publish a travel time study in the notice.
Through September 13, 2026: Farrington at Honouliuli still carries through traffic under the current pattern. Use this week to test the Old Fort Weaver loop if you drive it often.
From September 14, 2026: Both directions close around the clock. Airport runs from Kapolei and Ewa should leave earlier every day, including nights.
Into 2027: HDOT estimates about a year of full closure, with the overall widening job finishing in April 2028. Do not plan on Farrington reopening for a weekend event without a new HDOT notice.
Confirmed facts stop at HDOT’s dated full closure, the detour, the bridge geometry, the bus stop move, and the project cost and calendar. Interpretation is that west Oahu visitors should budget more drive time to Honolulu and HNL for the next year. Unresolved points are the precise end date and the size of the delay on Old Fort Weaver Road.
When does Farrington Highway close at Honouliuli Bridge?
HDOT starts the 24/7 full closure on Monday, September 14, 2026. The department estimates the closure will last about a year. Weather can change the schedule.
Is this only one direction, like the 2025 work?
No. Hawaii News Now reported a 2025 eastbound-only closure on this widening project. The September 2026 notice closes Farrington in both directions between the ends of Old Fort Weaver Road.
What is the detour for drivers?
Use Old Fort Weaver Road, then reenter Farrington Highway at the far end of that loop. HDOT said signs are posted. Follow those signs rather than cutting through unmarked neighborhood streets.
Does this close the road to Kapolei hotels and Ko Olina?
It closes one segment of Farrington at Honouliuli Bridge, not every west Oahu road. H-1 and other routes still operate. The detour adds time on the surface route between Ewa, Waipahu, Kapolei, and Honolulu.
Where does HDOT post weekly updates?
The September 1 notice points to HDOT’s Oahu roadwork page for weekly lane closure information. Use that page plus the Honouliuli closure notice as the official schedule until HDOT posts a change.
