Honolulu transit-rail agency finishes 5th mile of elevated guideway

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) has completed 5 miles of elevated guideway for a planned transit-rail system on the island of Oahu, the agency announced late last week.

Crews have now finished constructing a quarter of the project's 20 miles of guideway, HART officials said in a press release.

These 5 miles of the guideway include more than 215 spans, which are the part of the guideway between two columns. Each span typically consists of 12 segments weighing 50 tons each.

Completing this portion of the system represents an important milestone, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said.

"This is a visual reminder of the fact that we are building our way to a better transportation future," Caldwell said in a prepared statement. "As commuters drive by and look at the guideway, they know that an alternative to sitting in traffic is on the way."