Gulick Avenue closes for a year: Kalihi detours and Route 307 changes

By the Totally Hawaii Team

Published 22 September 2026 · Updated 22 September 2026.

A major traffic change is now in effect in Kalihi. Gulick Avenue is fully closed at the H-1 overpass between North King Street and North School Street while the bridge is reconstructed as part of the H-1 widening project. The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation says the closure began on Monday, 21 September 2026 and is expected to remain in place for about a year, through September 2027, subject to weather and construction conditions.

This is more than a short overnight lane closure. It changes a north–south neighbourhood connection used by residents, school traffic, TheBus passengers and drivers moving between King Street, School Street and the H-1 corridor. If your route passes through Kalihi, especially around Kalihi Waena Elementary School, allow extra time and follow the signed local detours rather than relying on an old saved route.

What is closed now

Gulick Avenue is closed to vehicles at the overpass 24 hours a day. HDOT's current Oʻahu lane-closure notice lists the full closure between North King Street and North School Street as an ongoing H-1 widening restriction. Beckley Street is also closed between Gulick Avenue and the Diamond Head side of the H-1 during the first construction phase, with local access restrictions around the work zone.

The first phase focuses on drilled-shaft foundations on the makai side of the replacement overpass. HDOT said this foundation work would take roughly five to seven weeks. The traffic pattern will change again as later phases move to other parts of the bridge, so a detour that works this week may not be the exact configuration used later in the project.

Pedestrians and cyclists still have a way across

A temporary pedestrian bridge opened at 6:00 a.m. on 21 September and is intended to stay available through construction. HDOT says it provides access for pedestrians and cyclists while the vehicle bridge is rebuilt. That is particularly important for local school movements and people making short neighbourhood trips that would otherwise be pushed onto much longer detours.

For Kalihi Waena Elementary School, HDOT advises families to use the School Street end of Gulick Avenue or Nakuine Street for student drop-off and then use the temporary pedestrian bridge where appropriate. Drivers should expect more concentrated school traffic on the surrounding streets during arrival and dismissal periods.

Route 307 is detoured

TheBus Route 307 is being routed around the closed overpass. HDOT's construction notice says buses will use King Street, Kalihi Street/Likelike Highway and School Street, with riders directed to stops on King Street and School Street while the detour is in place. Route 307 remains a current TheBus route serving Kamehameha IV Road and the Kalihi Transit Center area.

If you normally board close to Gulick Avenue, check the live TheBus information before leaving. Temporary stop locations and construction traffic can change as work moves between phases. For visitors, the practical point is simple: do not assume a saved transit itinerary through Kalihi is still accurate just because the route number has not changed.

Driving detours around the work zone

For the first phase, HDOT directs traffic on the Diamond Head side of Beckley Street toward Kaili Street for access to North King Street, while Nakuine Street can be used for school drop-off access. Local traffic restrictions remain around Beckley Street. The wider project website and HDOT lane-closure pages should be treated as the current source of truth because the exact configuration will evolve during the year-long bridge replacement.

Drivers using the H-1 itself should also expect separate construction activity. The project has recurring lane closures and nighttime work on the freeway, independent of the Gulick Avenue overpass closure. A route that avoids Gulick may still encounter H-1 work nearby, so allow a buffer rather than planning to the minute.

When crews are working

HDOT's 14 September public notice described regular weekday construction activity generally between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with some drilling work potentially extending to 6:00 p.m. The project's current closure page lists work along Gulick Avenue from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Because published hours can vary by phase and task, the closure itself matters more than the crew clock: Gulick Avenue remains closed to through vehicle traffic around the clock.

How long will this last?

HDOT expects the Gulick Avenue vehicle closure to continue for approximately one year, through September 2027, weather and project conditions permitting. Individual foundation and traffic-control phases are shorter, but the bridge replacement is not a quick repair. The best way to plan recurring trips is to learn the signed detour now and still check for phase changes periodically.

The Gulick overpass work is one component of the larger H-1 widening project through the Kalihi corridor. The broader project has its own schedule and additional lane restrictions; this article is specifically about the Gulick Avenue closure and the immediate local impacts now in effect.

What visitors should do

Most visitors staying in Waikīkī or travelling directly between Honolulu airport and the main resort districts will not need Gulick Avenue. But travellers visiting Kalihi, using local accommodation, heading to businesses or schools in the area, or making cross-town trips through North King and School streets can be affected. Ride-share and taxi travel times may also be longer when nearby streets absorb detoured traffic.

If your map app sends you toward a closed segment, follow the physical traffic signs instead. Construction routing can change faster than cached navigation data. For a time-sensitive airport, tour or appointment trip that crosses Kalihi, build in extra time and check HDOT's current Oʻahu lane-closure page before departure.

Bottom line

Gulick Avenue's H-1 overpass is now a year-long construction zone, not a temporary inconvenience that will disappear after a weekend. The vehicle crossing is closed, Beckley Street is restricted during the early phase, Route 307 is detoured and a temporary pedestrian bridge is carrying foot and bicycle traffic. The closure is expected to last until roughly September 2027, and the local traffic pattern will change as reconstruction progresses.