Daytime construction work that would require closing southbound lanes of the Maine Turnpike will be prohibited while an Interstate 295 repaving project is under way, the Maine Turnpike Authority announced today. Instead, much of the turnpike construction work will be done at night, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The Maine Department of Transportation will effectively shut down the southbound lanes of I-295 for 18 miles between Topsham and Gardiner for a 10-week repaving project that starts on Monday.

The turnpike, which is Interstate 95, is expected to see more traffic as motorists take alternate routes to avoid the construction, which is expected to finish by Aug. 30.

Unless fewer vehicles than expected detour to the turnpike, all southbound lane closures on the turnpike will occur at night, said Dan Paradee, turnpike spokesman.

“We can’t afford to defer our paving and bridge repair projects for the entire construction season, but we have planned them to accommodate the additional traffic that will come our way because of the I-295 closure,” Paradee said.

The turnpike authority this summer plans to do four paving projects, six bridge repairs and five bridge-painting projects on the 65-mile section of the turnpike between Portland and Augusta.