The state Department of Transportation is reminding motorists that a yearlong construction project along Kalaniana'ole Highway in Makapu'u will begin tomorrow night.

The work will force the closure of a stretch of highway between the upper Makapu'u Lookout parking lot and the Makapu'u Beach Park parking entrance from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays. The construction will be halted on Dec. 4 for the holidays and resume in January, the DOT said.

Motorists traveling between the Hawai'i Kai and Waimänalo communities during the construction hours are advised to use Pali Highway. The project is expected to be completed in fall 2010.

Transportation officials announced this week a modified construction schedule that will not include regular daytime closures of the highway. The original plan was to close the highway from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays.

But residents criticized the plan, saying it would mean a major inconvenience for people who use the highway to get to and from work or shopping malls. Business owners in Waimänalo also said the highway closure would severely hurt their already-struggling businesses.

In response to the protests, the DOT altered the schedule to allow for greater movement between the communities during high-use hours.

"The community expressed that 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. seemed to be the time frame that would cause the least amount of disruption to their daily lives," said Brennon Morioka, DOT director. "We will be monitoring the project closely during this first week of construction to see if we need to make any further adjustments."

Morioka cautioned that there may be times that the contractor will have to close one lane during the day. The public will be given a two-week notice of any plans to close a lane, he said.

The work is deemed crucial because of the hazards posed by falling rocks and an unstable roadway. The $7.8 million project will include the construction of a rockfall impact barrier, rehabilitation of a retaining wall, slope stabilization, pavement reconstruction and the installation of electrical cable and conduits.

The state will be placing eight message boards at various locations before the lane closures will be implemented.