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Hawaii Route 7310 and former Hawaii Route 66

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Hawaii Route 7310 is a 1-mile State Highway which connects from Interstate H-201/Moanalua Freeway south via Puuloa Road in western Honolulu to Hawaii Route 92/Nimitz Highway.  Hawaii Route 7310 is all that remains active in the Hawaii State Highway System out of what comprised former Hawaii Route 66.  Hawaii Route 66 once continued south of Hawaii Route 92 via Lagoon Drive.  Pictured above is a remaining Hawaii Route 66 shield which was located on Hawaii Route 92/Nimitz Highway westbound.  

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; the history of Hawaii Route 7310 and former Hawaii Route 66

Prior to the Statehood the first signed highways within Hawaii Territory came into existence during World War II.   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 shows the future corridor of Hawaii Route 66 on Puuloa Road as Hawaii Route 105.  A full version of the 1946 Army Map of O'ahu can be seen on hawaiihighways.com here. 


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 Puuloa Road it was not assigned one of the initial post-1955 Hawaii Route numbers.  

Puuloa Road and Lagoon Drive can be seen on the 1959 Gousha Highway Map of Hawaii without a Hawaii Route number.  Lagoon Drive is noted as being the access road for the Naval Seaplane Terminal at Honolulu International Airport  



According to hawaiihighways.com Hawaii Route 62 first appears on the 1962 State Highway Map along Puuloa Road and Lagoon Drive.  Hawaii Route 62 is seen on the 1969 and 1970 State Highway Maps of Hawaii.  Hawaii Route 66 is noted in 1960s era planning documents to be planned to for deletion from Federal Aid System and not transferred to the Honolulu County Route System (which occurred during 1969.  

Notably Hawaii Route 66 is shown only aligned on Puuloa Road on the 1968 USGS Map of Honolulu.


It is unclear when Hawaii Route 66 on Puuloa Road was reassigned as Hawaii Route 7310 but the former designation doesn't appear on Puuloa Road on the 1981 USGS Map of Honolulu.


Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 7310

As noted above a Hawaii Route 66 shield can be found on westbound Hawaii Route 92/Nimitz Highway as it approaches the Lagoon Drive/Puuloa Road junction.  The current field signage implies that Hawaii Route 66 exists in both directions whereas the reality is that Hawaii Route 7310 only exists via Puuloa Road northbound. 


Hawaii Route 7310 northbound on Puuloa Road is signed as "To Interstate H-201."  One Hawaii Route 7310 shield can be found directing northbound traffic to Tripler Hospital approaching the terminus at Interstate H-201.  Note: state maintenance of Hawaii Route 7310 appears to end as Puuloa Road becomes Jarrett White Road.  According to hawaiihighways.com Jarrett White Road is maintained as unsigned Hawaii Route 7345 in the Hawaii State Highway inventory to Tripler Hospital.  It is unclear if Jarrett White Road was ever part of Hawaii Route 66.  




From Interstate H-201 Exit 3 is signed as access to Hawaii Route 7310 via Puuloa Road.  Traffic heading towards Tripler Hospital is directed to take Puuloa Road north and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is directed to take Puuloa Road south.  

Hawaii Route 7310 and Puuloa Road southbound terminate at Hawaii Route 92/Nimitz Highway.  Traffic can continue south onto former Hawaii Route 66 on Lagoon Drive.  

During June 2019 Dan Murphy of the Roadwaywiz YouTube channel (and Gribblenation) featured real time drives on Hawaii Route 7310.  Below Hawaii Route 7310/Puuloa Road can be viewed northbound.  

Below Hawaii Route 7310//Puuloa Road can be viewed southbound. 

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