Lanes to close for conservation meetings, Obama

Motorists in town and Kailua should expect road closures and traffic delays starting tonight as Honolulu prepares to host 6,000 delegates from 170 countries for the World Conservation Congress and as President Barack Obama’s motorcade travels through Honolulu from Wednesday night through Friday.

Most of the closures in town will be around the Neal S. Blaisdell Center and the Hawai‘i Convention Center, the main sites of the conservation meetings.

Hawai‘i Convention Center closures

Lanes will be closed around the convention center today through Sept. 10.

The mauka-bound curb lane of Atkinson Drive will be closed between Mahukona Street and Kapiolani Boulevard; the Koko Head-bound curb lane of Kapiolani Boulevard will be closed between Atkinson Drive and Kalakaua Avenue; and the makai-bound curb lane of Kalakaua Avenue will be closed between Kapiolani Boulevard and the Ala Wai Canal Bridge.

In addition, the Ala Wai Promenade and the Ala Wai Canal between Kalakaua Avenue and Ala Moana Boulevard will be closed to pedestrians and water traffic.

Blaisdell Center closures

Two Ewa-bound lanes of Kapiolani Boulevard will be closed between Kamakee Street and Ward Avenue, and all mauka-bound lanes of Ward Avenue between Kapiolani Boulevard and King Street will be closed so traffic control devices can be installed from 10 p.m. today until 5 a.m. Wednesday.

The mauka sidewalk of Kapiolani between Kamakee Street and Ward Avenue and the sidewalk in front of the Blaisdell Center on Ward Avenue will be also closed until Friday. Starting on Wednesday at 9 a.m., crews will install barricades along Ward Avenue and South King Street around the Blaisdell, closing the South King Street and Ward Avenue sidewalks until Friday morning.

Road closures start Thursday from 2:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Victoria Street between South Beretania and King streets. Motorists heading makai on Victoria Street between Kinau and Beretania streets must turn right onto Beretania Street.

All mauka-bound lanes of Ward Avenue will be closed near the Blaisdell Center, and the South King Street makai curb lane between Ward Avenue and McKinley High School will be closed. There will be no morning contra-flow on Ward Avenue or Kapiolani Boulevard.

There will also be road closures when crews remove the barriers, from 7 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday.

Parking at Blaisdell Center will be restricted on Wednesday and Thursday, and box-office operations will be relocated to the Waikiki Shell.

Presidential visit

Also on Wednesday, the president is scheduled to arrive at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and his motorcade will proceed to the East-West Center, where he is scheduled to give a speech Wednesday evening.

The president will be staying in Kailua and is also scheduled to fly to Midway Atoll on Thursday morning and return Thursday night, before leaving the islands Friday morning for China.

The Coast Guard is enforcing a security zone around the president’s rented residence in Kailua that puts portions of Kailua Bay off-limits between Kapoho Point and Kailuana Loop, including the channel between the point and the North Kalaheo Avenue bridge.

Park closures

The Magic Island parking lot at Ala Moana Regional Park will be closed Thursday. From Thursday to Sept. 10, parking at McCoy Pavilion and the “keyhole” parking area near the tennis courts will be closed to the public along with the tennis courts and Honolulu Lawn Bowls Green.

The Ala Wai Community Park building and parking lot will also be closed from Thursday to Sept. 10, although the park and baseball field will remain open.

TheBus route changes

The following bus stops will be relocated today at 10 p.m. to Friday at 3:30 p.m.:

>> Stop 431 — Kapiolani Boulevard, mauka side, across from Kamakee Street, will be closed and relocated to near Kamakee Street.

>> Stop 433 — Kapiolani Boulevard, mauka side, near Ward Avenue, will be closed and relocated to the far side of Ward Avenue.

>> Stop 135 — South King Street fronting the Blaisdell Concert Hall will be closed, and riders will be directed to Stop 133 on King Street near Cooke Street or Stop 137 on King Street near Pensacola Street.