What Happened
The New York State Department of Transportation is warning drivers of two nights of full overnight closures on the westbound Long Island Expressway at Exit 62 in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, according to a travel advisory published by LongIsland.com on July 10, 2026.
The westbound lanes of Interstate 495 will be shut down at Exit 62 — the Nicolls Road/County Route 97 interchange — on Tuesday, July 14, and again on Thursday, July 16, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night. The purpose of both closures is to facilitate highway and bridge maintenance in the area, per the advisory reported by LongIsland.com.
During both closure windows, motorists will be detoured onto the North Service Road. NYSDOT advises all drivers to allow extra travel time and to remain alert for highway workers and maintenance equipment in the area. The department’s advisory specifically reminds motorists: “Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers.”
The department noted that all construction activities are weather-dependent and subject to change based on conditions. Drivers planning to use this stretch of the westbound LIE on either night should verify closure status before traveling by calling 511, visiting 511NY.org, or downloading the free 511NY mobile app. Real-time updates are also available through NYSDOT’s official social media channels on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, including a dedicated Long Island regional account on X.
Location & Road Context
Exit 62 at Nicolls Road/County Route 97 sits within the Town of Brookhaven, one of the largest towns by area in New York State, and serves as a major north-south connector between the LIE corridor and communities stretching from the South Shore to the North Shore of Suffolk County. The westbound LIE at this location carries heavy commuter and freight traffic heading toward Nassau County and New York City.
The Long Island Expressway is one of the most active and incident-prone roads on Long Island. Our I-495 road page shows 1,590 recorded incidents in our database, and Suffolk County accounts for 598 recorded accidents in our local incident log. Just on July 10 alone — the same day this advisory was published — multiple moderate crashes were recorded on I-495, underscoring why NYSDOT has chosen off-peak overnight hours for this maintenance work. Drivers who cannot avoid the area during the closure nights should budget additional time for the North Service Road detour, which will absorb displaced LIE traffic.
Broader Impact
Because the closures fall on a Tuesday and Thursday — midweek overnight windows — traffic impact is expected to be relatively limited compared to weekend or rush-hour work. However, commercial vehicles, overnight freight carriers, and late-shift workers who routinely use the westbound LIE through Brookhaven should note that no partial lane configuration is offered during these windows; the road is fully closed at Exit 62. Drivers are encouraged to consult 511NY.org for real-time conditions before departure on either night, as the weather-dependent nature of the work means schedules could shift with little advance notice.