Nighttime closures for Southern State

Parts of the Southern State Parkway in Hempstead will be closed weeknights starting Wednesday for maintenance work, the state Department of Transportation said.

The closings, which will continue through the end of August, are for a preventive maintenance project that "will help assure the longevity of the pavement and maintain a safe riding surface for the approximately 180,000 motorists" who use the stretch of parkway daily, the DOT said.

Lanes will be closed between the Queens border and the Meadowbrook State Parkway, Exit 22. One lane will stay open. Smaller sections of the parkway will be closed for three miles or less, the DOT said.

Westbound lanes will be closed Monday through Friday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Eastbound lanes between the Queens border and Hempstead Avenue, Exit 17, will be closed Sunday through Thursday from midnight to 7 a.m. Eastbound lanes between Hempstead Avenue and the Meadowbrook Parkway will be closed Sunday through Thursday from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Electronic message-board signs are alerting motorists to the changes, the DOT said. Drivers should try to find alternate routes, the DOT said.

Up-to-date traffic and travel information is available by calling 511, at 511NY.org and INFORMNY.com and on handheld communication devices at INFORMNY.mobi.