Skip to main content

Kalākaua Avenue, Honolulu

By

Kalākaua Avenue ("Kalakaua Avenue") is a major city street in the City of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu.  Kalakaua Avenue originates in the neighborhood of Makiki near Interstate H-1.  Kalakaua Avenue follows a generally eastward course through McCully-Moiliili over the Ala Wai Canel into Waikiki.  Kalakaua Avenue through Waikiki is generally a one-way through road which terminates near Diamond Head Crater.

This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page.  All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below:

https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html


Part 1; a brief history of Kalākaua Avenue 

What is now Kalakaua Avenue has been the main point of entry into Waikiki since the 19th Century when it was known as Waikiki Road.  Stage service opened for service on Waikiki Road during 1868 which was replaced by a horse driven tramcar system in 1888.  Below Waikiki Road can be seen on the 1881 C.J. Lyons Map of O'ahu.

Waikiki Road can be seen as the main highway through Waikiki on the 1899 J.T. Taylor Map of O'ahu.


During 1901 electric trolley service opened on Waikii Road.  Waikiki Road was renamed during 1908 to Kalakaua Avenue in honor of the last King of Hawaii Kalākaua.  Kalakaua Avenue modernized significantly upon the completion of the Ala Wai Canal in 1928.  The Ala Wai Canal shunted stream run off into Waikiki which allowed it to transform from a wet land into the tourism district of Honolulu.  

During World War II the territory of Hawaii saw an influx of military activity following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.  Numerous Military Routes and early Hawaii Routes were signed through the Hawaiian Territory to aid military personnel in navigating the islands.  Military Highways were assigned US Route style shields whereas lesser highways were assigned an early variation of what is now the Hawaii Route Spade.  A 1946 Army Map of the Island of O'ahu Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki was assigned as part of Hawaii Route 101.  Kalakaua Avenue was an important military connector due to the presence of Fort DeRussy in Waikiki and Fort Ruger at Diamond Head Crater.  


Circa 1955 following the conclusion of World War II the United States Bureau of Public Roads renumbered the Hawaii Route System.  The 1955 Hawaii Route renumbering saw most of the conventions utilized by the current Hawaii State Route System established.  Primary Hawaii Routes were given two digit numbers whereas Secondary Hawaii Routes were given three digit numbers.  The Hawaii Routes were assigned in sequence for what Island/County they were located on coupled with what Federal Aid Program number they were tied to.  In the case of O'ahu the Island was assigned numbers in the range of 60-99.  Kalakaua Avenue was not retained as a Hawaii Route and did not receive a new designation.  Kalakaua Avenue can be seen on the 1959 Shell Highway Map of Hawaii without a Hawaii Route designation.  





Part 2; exploring Kalākaua Avenue 

From Interstate H-1 traffic is directed to use Exit 23 onto Punahoa Street to reach Waikiki.


From Punahoa Street southbound traffic can access Kalakaua Avenue by turning west onto Beretania Street.  From westbound Beretania Street traffic can access Kalakaua Avenue southbound.  




Kalakaua Avenue southbound passes through Makiki and McCully-Moiliili to the Ala Wai Canal into Waikiki.  





Within Waikiki southbound Kalakaua Avenue becomes a one-way street and intersects Hawaii Route 92 at Ala Moana Boulevard at Fort DeRussy.  



The Fort DeRussy Military Reservation in Waikiki is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army but functions more as a park during modern times.  Fort DeRussy was originally constructed during 1911 along with Battery Randolph.  Battery Randolph now houses the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii.















From Fort DeRussy Beach one can see how much Diamond Head Crater towers of Waikiki.  


Kalakaua Avenue has several all-way pedestrian crossings such as the one below at Lewers Street.


Featured below is a Blue Stop Sign seen at Lauula Street and Lewers Street just east of Kalakaua Avenue. Blue Stop Signs are typically seen in Hawaii on private drives given the State prohibits official looking signage.


Kalakaua Avenue southbound at Royal Hawaiian Center Avenue.




Part 3; Roadwaywiz Kalākaua Avenue

During June of 2019 Dan Murphy of the Roadwaywiz Youtube Channel (and Gribblenation) featured real-time drives on Kalakaua Avenue. Below Kalakaua Avenue can be viewed headed eastbound during the daytime.


Below Kalakaua Avenue can be viewed headed eastbound during the nighttime.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

By
In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l
3 comments
Read more

Mines Road

By
Mines Road is an approximately twenty-eight-mile highway located in the rural parts of the Diablo Range east of the San Francisco Bay Area.  Mines Road begins in San Antonio Valley in Santa Clara County and terminates at Tesla Road near Livermore of Alameda County.  The highway essentially is a modern overlay of the 1840s Mexican haul trail up Arroyo Mocho known as La Vereda del Monte.  The modern corridor of Mines Road took shape in the early twentieth century following development of San Antonio Valley amid a magnesite mining boom.  Part 1; the history of Mines Road Modern Mines Road partially overlays the historic corridor used by La Vereda del Monte (Mountain Trail).  La Vereda del Monte was part of a remote overland route through the Diablo Range primarily used to drive cattle from Alta California to Sonora.  The trail was most heavily used during the latter days of Alta California during the 1840s. La Vereda del Monte originated at Point of Timber between modern day Byron and Bre
Post a Comment
Read more

Interstate 210 the Foothill Freeway

By
The combined Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor of the Foothill Freeway is approximately 85.31-miles.  The Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor begins at Interstate 5 at the northern outskirts of Los Angeles and travels east to Interstate 10 in Redlands of San Bernardino County.  Interstate 210 is presently signed on the 44.9-mile segment of the Foothill Freeway between Interstate 5 and California State Route 57.  California State Route 210 makes up the remaining 40.41 miles of the Foothill Freeway east to Interstate 10.  Interstate 210 is still classified by the Federal Highway Administration as existing on what is now signed as California State Route 57 from San Dimas south to Interstate 10.  The focus of this blog will mostly be on the history of Interstate 210 segment of the Foothill Freeway.   Part 1; the history of Interstate 210 and California State Route 210 Interstate 210 (I-210) was approved as a chargeable Interstate during September of
Post a Comment
Read more