FYI - Northern State Parkway PM Closure of Eastbound Lanes

Night Closure of Eastbound Northern State Parkway Begins Tuesday, July 6, 2010 in the Towns of Huntington and Smithtown

Eight Mile, $9.2 Million Repaving Improvement Will Benefit up to 75,000 Motorists Daily

For the protection of motorists, sections of the Northern State Parkway (NSP) between Wolf Hill Road (Exit 41) and NY Route 454/Veterans Highway in the Towns of Huntington and Smithtown, Suffolk County, will be closed to motorists weekday nights between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m., beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2010. The travel lane closures are needed to undertake the $9.2 million project to repave approximately eight miles of the NSP, which requires the removal of the old, worn pavement surface and markings followed by installation of new pavement surfacing and markings. When completed, this mill and fill resurfacing work will help maintain the integrity of the roadway and provide a smoother, safer riding surface for the approximately 75,000 motorists who use this section of NSP each day. To minimize the impact on motorists, the project is being performed at night and in different stages with smaller sections being resurfaced and closed to motorists at one time.

During the first week, the eastbound NSP will be closed between Wolf Hill Road (Exit 41) and NY Route 231/Deer Park Avenue (Exit 42) Tuesday through Friday nights. During the following weeks, the NSP will be closed each Sunday through Thursday night for the remainder of the project. Once the eastbound NSP is completed in approximately eight weeks, the westbound NSP will be undertaken and closed between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. As with any roadway project, this operation is weather dependent and may be canceled, postponed, or prolonged due to inclement weather.

Motorists are being warned in advance of the closing via overhead INFORM messages and electronic message boards but are urged to use alternate routes to avoid delays, especially during the initial lane closure set up around midnight each night. All vehicles will be detoured off eastbound NSP to the Long Island Expressway (LIE/I495), to the Sagtikos State Parkway (SSP) then back to the NSP. Motorists are reminded to drive carefully through the work zone and obey the posted construction speed limit for their safety as well as the safety of the highway work crew.

This project will address the deteriorated pavement conditions of the NSP. In addition to the new pavement, the project includes drainage repairs and cleaning, new surface and overhead traffic loops, and new pavement markings to maintain the integrity of the NSP, increase safety, and reduce crashes on this attractive parkway. Construction is being performed by Grace Industries, LLC of Flushing, New York and is expected to be completed late Fall 2010 weather permitting.

For 24/7 up-to-date traffic and travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit www.511NY.org. Motorists may also obtain travel information from the INFORM Transportation Management Center cameras at www.INFORMNY.com and on their hand held communication devices at www.INFORMNY.mobi .