Rockaway Turnpike Getting New Traffic Pattern For Road Work

Starting next week, parts of Rockaway Turnpike will have traffic diverted in order for crews to do work on the road.

Beginning on Jan. 24, the traffic pattern will change between Nassau Expressway and Bay Boulevard. The traffic will be shifted onto temporary pavement, the state Department of Transportation said. The lanes will remain open during peak hours, and the new traffic pattern will be striped into the road to help drivers, the DOT said.

In order to implement the change, on Jan. 24 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., two lanes in both directions of Rockaway Turnpike, between Reyem Drive and Bay Boulevard, will be closed. Only one lane will be open in each direction. All lanes of Nassau Expressway will be closed that night, from Rockaway Turnpike to Bay Boulevard, and traffic will be detoured via Bay Boulevard.

The closure and detour will only be for the night of Jan. 24.

The DOT says the new traffic pattern will be in place until work on the road is complete, which is expected to be December 2019. Work on the road could be canceled, postponed or prolonged due to weather, the DOT says. The work is part of a $130 million project to improve the safety and operation of this section of Nassau Expressway, since the road is vital for emergency evacuations.

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