Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) and its Highways Division originated the plans for the development and construction of H-3 and authored the environmental impact statements and other planning documents. HDOT coordinated with the Federal Highway Administration on planning and funding for H-3 and was responsible for the procurement process for all work done on the project, including writing the contracts for each phase of construction and soliciting bids from companies to perform the work.
The director of HDOT is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate. In general, the director oversees the various divisions of the department, each of which has its own administrator. Fujio Matsuda directed HDOT from 1963 to 1973 and served during the early years of planning and initial construction of H-3. He went on to serve as president of the University of Hawaiʻi from 1974–1984. An oral history interview with Matsuda done by the Center for Oral History includes some discussion of his work on H-3.
E. Alvey Wright, a former commander of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, served as HDOT deputy director under Matsuda and was director of HDOT from 1973 to 1977. Wright was named as a plaintiff in some of the lawsuits filed to stop H-3. After he left HDOT, he worked as a special assistant to Senator Daniel K. Inouye. The following are additional HDOT directors during the construction of H-3:
- Ryokichi Higashionna 1978-1983
- Wayne Yamasaki 1984-1986
- Edward Hirata 1987-1991
- Rex Johnson 1992-1995
- Kazu Hayashida 1996-2000
Tetsuo Harano, for whom the H-3 tunnels were named, served as the Highways Division chief from 1969-1994.