What Happened
Governor Kathy Hochul suspended temporary construction-related lane closures on all New York State highways beginning at 6:00 a.m. Friday, September 4, 2026, through 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 8, 2026, per a LongIsland.com report filed by Chris Boyle. The four-day window covers the full Labor Day weekend. All road and bridge construction projects on state highways, including those on Long Island, must pull lane closures for the duration.
Two categories of work are exempt: construction already protected behind permanent concrete barriers, and emergency repairs. Every other active construction lane closure on state-maintained roads comes down by 6:00 a.m. Friday.
Hochul cited traveler volume in her statement: “It’s been a historic and memorable summer in New York, and the momentum continues this Labor Day weekend, with thousands of travelers expected across the state. We want everyone to have a safe holiday weekend, and I encourage travelers to plan ahead, drive sober and stay alert.”
New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said Thruway employees and emergency responders will remain on the roads through the weekend and repeated the Move Over obligation directly: “Travelers should slow down and move over for all vehicles on the side of the road.” Hoare credited New York State Police Troop T, the unit assigned to Thruway patrol, for weekend enforcement support.
DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said the department will suspend all non-emergency construction activities for the weekend and directed drivers to obey posted speed limits, put phones down, and drive sober. She connected the timing to the start of the school year as an additional reason for the safety reminder.
The suspension is part of New York State’s Drivers First Initiative, which requires state transportation agencies to weigh motorist convenience when scheduling road and bridge work, specifically to cut congestion caused by construction staging.
Location & Road Context
The order covers all New York State highways. On Long Island, that includes the Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkway, Southern State Parkway, Sunrise Highway (NYS Route 27), Meadowbrook State Parkway, Wantagh State Parkway, Bethpage State Parkway, and all other state-maintained corridors. County and municipal roads are outside the state’s direct authority, though local agencies frequently mirror the suspension during holiday weekends.
Labor Day traditionally produces some of the heaviest eastbound-to-westbound reversal traffic on Long Island parkways as summer visitors return from the East End. Construction lane closures on routes such as the LIE near the Queens–Nassau border or the Southern State through Nassau County would otherwise compress already high weekend volumes onto fewer lanes.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
No arrests or charges are part of this announcement. New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies are running the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign through Monday, September 7, with increased patrols and checkpoints statewide targeting impaired and reckless driving. The enforcement campaign runs concurrent with the construction suspension but is separate from it.
New York’s Move Over Law, expanded in March 2024, requires all drivers to slow down and move over for any vehicle stopped along the roadway, a rule that applies to the Thruway Authority vehicles and emergency responders Hoare confirmed will be operating through the weekend.
Broader Impact
Any driver cited for violating the Move Over Law expansion faces fines and license points under the March 2024 amendment, which broadened the original statute beyond emergency vehicles to all stopped roadside vehicles. That change is in full effect this weekend, including at any barrier-protected work zones where construction crews remain active.