H3 Tunnels Technical Tour
Jimmy Kephart and Gerald Pang from HDOT graciously gave 20 ITE members a tour of the H3 Tunnels facilities to take a look at the exhaust and supply fans and other infrastructure, as well as the maintenance tunnel to see cross passes, electrical, and communications rooms. Highlights of the tour included being able to be up close to and right above the roads where it felt like we could feel the cars rumbling up and down the tunnel, and going all the way to top of the Kaneohe side of the tunnels to look down on the H3 like royalty. ITE members displayed impressive stamina as the many flights of stairs did not seem to deter a single person from continuing on with the tour. It was truly incredible to learn about the engineering that went into the construction of the tunnels which included excavating and building the membrane at the blistering pace of several feet every day. The tour really helped to give a newfound appreciation and understanding of the H3 Tunnels.
