Meadowbrook Parkway, Loop Parkway lane closures for bridge work in Hempstead, officials say
Lane closure on the Meadowbrook and Loop parkways in Hempstead expected until the end of the year, state transportation officials announced. Credit: Getty Images/Marcia Straub
Parts of two major roadways in Hempstead will be shut down for months beginning on Tuesday, when their posted speed limits will also drop temporarily, according to the New York State Department of Transportation.
The closures will impact bridges on both Loop Parkway and Meadowbrook State Parkway. The closures are meant to "facilitate rehabilitation" on the bridges, NYSDOT wrote in a news release.
Loop Parkway’s left lanes will be shut down in both directions at the bridge over Reynolds Channel starting about 10 p.m. on Tuesday. Westbound traffic will be pushed over to the eastbound side of the bridge, which will have one lane open in either direction.
Those conditions are expected to remain in place throughout the rest of 2026, the NYSDOT said.
On the Meadowbrook Parkway, the right lane will be closed for two bridges: one over False Channel and the other over Fundy Channel. NYSDOT wrote that closure will begin "on or about" Tuesday, and continue through the end of November. The agency did not provide a specific start time.
The speed limits on each of the affected bridges will be reduced from 55 to 45 mph during the closure. NYSDOT cited safety reasons for the slow down.
Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
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