Portion of Ocean Parkway closed 3 weeks

The westbound lanes of Ocean Parkway between the Wantagh and Meadowbrook parkways will be closed for about three weeks as a tunnel under the roadway is repaired, officials said Friday.

A routine inspection Thursday found deterioration in the pedestrian tunnel linking a parking field to the central mall of the beach, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Eileen Peter said.

The westbound roadway was closed at 9 a.m. Friday and will remained closed until about May 27, she said.

Electronic signs have begun alerting motorists on the Robert Moses, Ocean and Wantagh parkways, she said, and drivers can take the Wantagh Parkway north to Sunrise Highway, the Southern State Parkway or alternate roads.

"We are very aware that Memorial Day is at the end of this month and we wanted to begin the repairs promptly," Peter said. "We need to get this done before the [beach] season starts."