Interstate H-201
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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 Rte. 99) and the western Interstate H-1 interchange remains designated as Moanalua Freeway, State Rte. 78; See Notes below for further explanation.
| Contents |
Length
| Miles | km | ||
| 4 | 6 | Hawaii | |
| 4 | 6 | Total | |
Cities, communities, and sites along the route
- Honolulu (Kapālama)
- Fort Shafter
- Tripler Army Medical Center and Māpunapuna
- Salt Lake and Moanalua
- Hālawa
- ‘Aiea
Intersections with other interstates
- Interstate H-1 (near mile 13) and Interstate H-3 in Hālawa
- 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 included:
- 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.
