HONOLULU (AP) - The Honolulu rail authority will redesign and replace the metal structures at three stations that support overhead fabric canopies that will shelter passengers from sun and rain, officials said.
The city will fix 15 so-called canopy arms after flaws were discovered in similar pieces fabricated for the rail line, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation said its plans to make the changes by December to meet the scheduled interim opening of a rail segment from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium by the end of next year.
In some cases the lower segments of the canopy arms cracked after they were welded and galvanized, officials said.
The rail authority told engineering firm AECOM two weeks ago to immediately redesign the arms to avoid further delays, said HART Executive Director Andrew Robbins.
“We do not want to wait a few months to finish an analysis, only then to learn that we need a Plan B,” Robbins told the rail authority board of directors Monday.
Robbins expects disagreement between AECOM and contractors responsible for fabricating the arms over the cracking problem and associated construction delays.
The city will not pay extra to resolve the problem, he said.
“I’m not ready to assign blame, but I know it’s not us,” Robbins said. “We still have more analysis to do.”
An investigation into the cause continues, but “it just does not make sense for us to delay refabrication and installation any longer,” Robbins told the board.
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
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