Route 443 in the towns of Bethlehem and New Scotland has been reduced to one alternating lane of travel during daylight hours as the state’s Department of Transportation repaves the road.

The lane reduction — from Van Dyke Road to Grayceland Avenue — will occur in 12-hour shifts through Friday, Aug. 25, weather permitting. Traffic will be controlled by a pilot car leading one direction of vehicles at a time through the work zone.

This will be the first of two phases to this paving project. During this first phase, the DOT will mill and recycle the pavement, creating a temporary surface upon which motorists will drive.

DOT crews will return in September to install the final top-course layer of pavement on this segment. During this second phase, motorists should expect to see alternating single lanes of traffic during off-peak daylight hours, starting at 9 a.m. daily.

Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license.