Road construction to improve vehicle traction on wet and icy pavement is going to affect access to the summit of Haleakala National Park starting today.

Park officials said the road from Kalahaku on up will be temporarily closed at the end of the business day today so heavy equipment can be brought in and staged in anticipation of the start of work Monday.

Once construction starts, the upper portion of the park road will be closed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on work days. During those times, vehicles will be able to access Halemau'u Trail, Hosmer's Grove and park headquarters at the 7,000-foot elevation, but not the summit.

Crews will work throughout next week before taking a break for the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Work will resume Jan. 20.