West and South Maui Sen. Roz Baker last week reported big news on the long-awaited Lahaina Bypass.

The governor released $7,665,000 for Phase 1B-2 of the Honoapiilani Highway Realignment, the new official name for the bypass project.

This phase calls for the construction of a two-lane highway from Hokiokio Place – where the current bypass ends or begins, depending on your direction, Baker noted – to the relocated southern terminus beyond the Olowalu Transfer Station.

The new roadway is scheduled for completion in May 2018.

In post-recession times, getting a new $38,550,000 highway ($7,710,000 in state funds and $30,840,000 in federal) in West Maui is terrific news.

Next year will mark four decades since West Side residents raised the need for a bypass. Traffic from Central to West Maui is jammed up almost every afternoon, so a second option is clearly needed.

This true bypass will also provide relief in the event of a fire, accident or construction project along Honoapiilani Highway, which is likely to crack again amid constant barrage from the ocean.

Future considerations should include improving the intersection where the bypass empties at Keawe Street and Honoapiilani Highway and extending the roadway to at least the Lahaina Civic Center area.

Baker also announced the release of $1,169,050 to complete construction renovations to the Imaging Department at Maui Memorial Medical Center, and $2 million for design for infrastructure required to begin work on the new Kihei High School.

“All of these are very important for our community. I appreciate Gov. Ige releasing these critical funds to keep these necessary projects moving forward,” Sen. Baker wrote. “Just wanted to share the good news with you and your readers.”