Interstate H-
Interstate H-201, also known as the Moanalua Freeway, is a tertiary Interstate highway located in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. The 4-mile loop route connects exits 13 and 19 on Interstate H-1, passing Fort Shafter, Tripler Army Medical Center, and Red Hill.
Despite being designated an Interstate in 1989, until recently the route was a "hidden" Interstate signed only as State Route 78. Interstate signs started appearing in mid-2004. (The section of the Moanalua Freeway between Kamehameha Highway (state route 99) and Interstate H-1 remains designated solely as route 78.) See Notes below for further explanation.
| Contents |
Length
| Miles | km | ||
| 4 | 6 | Hawaii | |
| 4 | 6 | Total | |
Major cities, towns, and sites along the route
Intersections with other interstates
- Interstate H-1 (near mile 13) and Interstate H-3 in Halawa, Hawaii
- Interstate H-1 (near mile 19) in Honolulu, Hawaii
Notes
The Federal Highway Administration approved the addition of Interstate H-201 to the Interstate Highway System on November 1, 1989. The Hawaii Department of Transportation asked that the Moanalua Freeway be reclassified as an Interstate so that the interchange with H-1 at the eastern end could conform to federal highway standards.
At first, the highway was initially designated H-1A, but federal highway policy does not allow alphabetic suffixes in Interstate numbers. The final designation, H-201, conforms to the general rules for three-digit Interstate "loop" routes.
Until 2004, the state Department of Transportation chose not to sign H-201 as such, instead retaining the designation Hawaii route 78. Reasons given include:
- inability to render the new route number in a legible manner (it is necessary to use the thinnest font to render the number, as seen above)
- encouraging motorists to use the newer and better designed H-1
- avoiding confusion with Interstate H-2
In July 2004, in conjunction with a major resurfacing of both sides of the freeway, it was decided to bring the signage in line with the official designation.
External links
- Photos of Interstate H-201 (http://www.hawaiihighways.com/photos-Oahu3.htm)
- Exit list for Interstate H-201 (http://www.hawaiihighways.com/photos-Oahu3.htm)