What Happened
A collapsed manhole closed the right lane of eastbound I-495 in Nassau County on Saturday, September 12, 2026. No injuries were reported. The lane closure was the result of a roadway infrastructure failure, not a vehicle crash.
Nassau County authorities responded to the scene to secure the area. Only the right lane was taken out of service; traffic continued moving in the remaining lanes, though drivers faced merging delays at the affected stretch.
No exact clock time for the initial report or lane reopening was available from official sources as of publication.
Location & Road Context
I-495, the Long Island Expressway, is Long Island’s primary east-west highway spine, running from the Queens–Nassau border through Suffolk County. Nassau County accounts for a significant portion of the corridor’s daily traffic volume.
According to Long Island Traffic’s incident registry, I-495 has recorded 92 incidents in the past 30 days and 462 in 2026 so far — this manhole collapse is among those 92. The corridor’s most recent prior fatal crash was recorded August 26, 2026. Nassau County has logged 1,286 accidents in Long Island Traffic’s local incident database in 2026. Saturday also saw a separate minor crash on the Southern State Parkway and at least three additional minor incidents on I-495 in the two days prior.
Broader Impact
Collapsed or failed manholes on active highway lanes carry a vehicle-damage risk beyond the initial lane closure — a tire or wheel well striking an open manhole at highway speed can cause a driver to lose control. Nassau County’s Department of Public Works typically handles roadway infrastructure repairs on local roads, while NYSDOT holds jurisdiction over I-495 itself. No repair timeline was released by official sources.