Question: Evenings last week and this week, two of the three lanes going westbound through town on the H-1 freeway were closed. These activities aren't listed on the state Department of Transportation's lane closures Web site at hawaii.gov/dot/high-ways/roadwork/oahu. What is the duration and scope of this project? Spending 25 more minutes in traffic is no fun when I could've taken a detour instead.

Answer: There was no notice posted because the information, for some reason, wasn't initially available to give.

In an answer to our query earlier in the week, the Transportation Department issued two news releases yesterday afternoon warning of lane closures, eastbound, for striping work last night, and lane closures for more striping next week, both eastbound and westbound.

“;There are electronic message boards up on the freeway, but we got really late notice of this work and so it unfortunately didn't get out with our weekly lane closure media announcements,”; said transportation spokeswoman Tammy Mori.

The work last night, from the Pali Highway offramp to the start of Kalanianaole Highway at Ainakoa Avenue, was to have ended at 3:30 a.m.

Multiple lanes will be closed nightly next week, from Monday through Friday morning, 9 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., at the following locations:

» Westbound, alternating two-lane closures from the Kalihi Street overpass to the Middle Street overpass.

» Eastbound, one- and two-lane closures from the Pali Highway offramp to the start of Kalanianaole Highway at Ainakoa Avenue.

Roadwork will depend on the weather.

The lane closures are expected to be completed in about three weeks, Mori said.

“;The contractor agreed to deploy additional signage, on top of the electronic message boards currently out there, to let drivers know about the work being done,”; she said.

It might appear work isn't being done because lanes need to be closed off for a longer distance for safety reasons, she said.

“;Because vehicles are traveling at such fast speeds, we cannot only close the immediate work zone, or area where re-striping is being done, because it's dangerous for the men and women working,”; she said.

Question: Do you know if there's going to be a big parade celebrating the 50th anniversary of statehood next month? Are there going to be different activities prior to the big day?

Answer: No parade or major activities are planned for Admission Day or the days preceding Aug. 21.

However, a conference on “;New Horizons for the Next 50 Years”; will be held that day at the Hawai'i Convention Center, bringing together local, national and international representatives “;to help define what Hawaii means to the world”; and what lies ahead in the next 50 years.

For information and to register to attend the conference, which is open to the general public, go to www.hawaiistatehoodconference.com.

By law the holiday is celebrated on the third Friday of August; this year the holiday coincides with the actual day in 1959 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the proclamation making Hawaii the 50th state.

For more information about statehood anniversary events, go to hawaii.gov/statehood.

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