CRAG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA @STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaiian Electric crews work on fixing a power outage in downtown Honolulu near the Ross Dress for Less store.

1 /1 CRAG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA @STARADVERTISER.COM Hawaiian Electric crews work on fixing a power outage in downtown Honolulu near the Ross Dress for Less store.

UPDATE : 4 p.m.

Hawaiian Electric said repair crews are making progress, and anticipate restoring power to the downtown Honolulu area by early evening.

“We apologize for the disruption caused by this outage and we know this is especially challenging for businesses and government offices, ” said Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Darren Pai in a news release. “Our crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power and get everyone back up by early evening.”

Most of the downtown Honolulu area is served by a network of underground cables that run below the streets, according to the company. This network was originally built in the 1960s and 1970s, Hawaiian Electric said, and while sections have been updated and maintained over the decades, much of the original cable remains in service.

1 :15 p.m.

Hawaiian Electric Co. says the downtown Honolulu outage that has clogged traffic and closed businesses and state offices will likely continue through late afternoon or early evening.

Company officials said in an afternoon news release that the outage, which began at about 10 a.m., affects about 900 customers throughout the downtown area, including Chinatown, the State Capitol, the U.S. post office, state courts and the federal building. Traffic signals throughout the area are without power and police officers are directing traffic at many intersections.

“The incident resulted from a sequence of events that started at approximately 9 :30 p.m. Wednesday, when an outage affected the area between Bishop and Mililani streets downtown, ” officials said in the release. “That outage damaged an underground cable that feeds power into the downtown area.

“Subsequently, shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday, equipment at the Iwilei substation experienced an overload of power. This caused the broader outage.”

The outage affects about “900 customer accounts, but many of those are master-metered office buildings and condominiums that have hundreds of tenants, ” they said.

Hawaiian Electric crews are working to repair cables in underground vaults below the streets and on damaged equipment at Iwilei substation, according to the news release. “Crews anticipate completing repairs and restoring power by late afternoon or in the early evening, assuming they don’t encounter additional challenges, ” officials said.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE A power outage in downtown Honolulu has closed multiple state offices and knocked out many traffic signals in the area this morning.

City officials are reminding the public to treat darkened traffic signals as an all-way stop.

As of 11 a.m., most traffic signals in the Downtown-Chinatown districts, which stretch from River to Alakea streets, and between Nimitz Highway and Beretania Street, are out of service.

Honolulu police are helping to direct traffic at major intersections, according to city officials.

This morning multiple power outages have occurred throughout downtown Honolulu affecting multiple state buildings including but not limited to the Hawaii State Capitol, Judiciary, Kalanimoku, Kamamalu, Keoneana, State Office Tower, No 1. Capitol and Kekaunaoha Buildings, according to the Department of Accounting and General Services.

DAGS said state offices in the affected buildings will be closed to the public until further notice.

Drivers should obey all the rules of the roadway, and drive with patience and aloha, HECO officials said.

Hawaiian Electric said at about 10 a.m. that repair crews were on-site in downtown Honolulu.

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