Work on the Kalanianaole Highway Retaining Wall Project will begin tonight, closing the highway overnight five days a week.

The state Department of Transportation this month rescheduled the work from daytime to overnight after a public outcry over the effects that closing the highway during the day would have on businesses and residents, especially in Waimanalo.

Nighttime closures are now Sunday through Thursday between 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., when Kalanianaole Highway between the upper Makapuu Lookout parking lot and the Makapuu Beach Park parking entrance will be closed. Work will be suspended during the holidays.

This $7.8 million project consists of safety improvements including construction of a rockfall barrier, slope stabilization, and installation of electrical cables and conduits, officials said. Completion is scheduled for the fall of 2010.