What Happened
The New York State Department of Transportation is closing the eastbound Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) overnight for approximately two weeks beginning Sunday, August 9, 2026, to carry out a pavement renewal project in Nassau County, according to an advisory published by LongIsland.com on August 7, 2026.
The affected stretch runs from Exit 39 — Glen Cove Road in the Village of East Hills, Town of North Hempstead — east to Exit 41, which serves State Routes 106 and 107 (North Broadway) in the Town of Oyster Bay. That segment, roughly two exits and about two miles of Nassau County highway, will be shut to eastbound traffic every Sunday night through Thursday night, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., for the duration of the project.
The eastbound HOV lane is also included in the closure but will be taken out of service one hour earlier than the main travel lanes, beginning at 9 p.m. on each closure night. Commuters who rely on the HOV lane for the tail end of an evening commute should plan accordingly on any Sunday-through-Thursday evening during the two-week window.
During the closure hours, traffic will be detoured onto the South Service Road running parallel to the LIE. Passenger vehicles have an additional option: NYSDOT is recommending the Northern State Parkway as an alternate through-route. Electronic message signs installed along the corridor will display further guidance as conditions warrant. Because construction activities are weather-dependent, the schedule is subject to change; drivers are urged to call 511, visit 511NY.org, or use the free 511NY mobile app for real-time updates before heading out.
NYSDOT framed the project squarely as a pavement renewal effort — routine resurfacing work that typically addresses surface wear, cracking, and ride quality before deterioration becomes structural. The agency did not release additional engineering specifics in its public advisory but emphasized that message boards would carry updated information throughout the project.
Location & Road Context
The closed segment sits in the heart of Nassau County’s mid-Island corridor, where the Long Island Expressway carries some of the highest traffic volumes on Long Island. Exit 39 at Glen Cove Road serves as a major interchange for residents of East Hills, Roslyn, and surrounding North Hempstead communities, while Exit 41 at Routes 106/107 feeds northern Oyster Bay Township destinations including Syosset and Woodbury.
Our incident database shows 2,128 recorded incidents on I-495, with multiple roadwork and construction entries logged on this very stretch as recently as August 7, 2026 — the same date NYSDOT published the pavement closure advisory. Nassau County as a whole accounts for 1,008 recorded accidents in our local database, and the expressway through this section has seen recent crashes on I-495 as well as a separate crash on I-495 on August 6, underscoring the importance of heeding lane-closure signage during overnight construction windows.
Broader Impact
NYSDOT’s advisory carries an explicit safety reminder aimed directly at this type of project: “Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers.” With overnight work crews operating on an active expressway corridor, the agency’s message aligns with New York’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching highway workers and emergency vehicles. Motorists traveling the South Service Road detour or the Northern State Parkway alternate should also expect that electronic message signs — and updates from the official NYSDOT social and web channels — will be the fastest way to learn of any schedule changes driven by weather during the approximately two-week project window.