REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES ARMY, UNITED STATES NAVY, AND STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK WITH APPROPRIATE STATE AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES TO EXPAND, PLAN, AND COORDINATE WORK RELATED TO USING KOLEKOLE PASS AS AN EXPANDED EMERGENCY EXIT ROUTE.

This House Resolution (HR 117) requests the U.S. Department of Defense, Army, Navy, and Hawaii’s Department of Transportation to coordinate with state and county agencies to prepare Kolekole Pass as an expanded emergency evacuation route for Westside Oahu residents. It directly affects communities on Oahu’s Westside, which face limited evacuation options due to reliance on Farrington Highway and vulnerability to gridlocks during disasters like the Maui fires. The resolution calls for planning infrastructure upgrades, establishing protocols, and coordinating federal, state, and county efforts to enable civilian use of Kolekole Pass during emergencies. As a non-binding request, it focuses on facilitating interagency collaboration rather than mandating specific actions.