Heads up, Honolulu commuters: School will be back in session soon, and traffic patterns will change.

On Aug. 22, about 43,500 university, college and private school students begin their fall semesters, which is likely to cause more traffic congestion at peak hours of freeway travel.

"We don’t want this to catch anybody by surprise, to wake up Monday morning, on Aug. 22, and say, ‘Oh, my God, what happened with all this traffic?’" said state Department of Transportation spokesman Dan Meisenzahl. State and city officials announced their annual Beat the School Jam efforts at a news conference Wednesday at the city’s traffic management center.

Transportation officials recommend adjusting commuting times to avoid peak travel hours. Those hours could depend on where the driver starts, said city Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka.

To help alleviate traffic, the state will place freeway construction projects on hiatus from Aug. 22 through 26. Emergency closures, nighttime construction and roadwork that does not involve lane closures may still be scheduled.

The state will also modify its ZipperLane and Nimitz Highway contraflow lane requirements beginning Monday, allowing vehicles with two or more passengers to use the lanes from 8 to 8:30 a.m. until Aug. 26. All other hours still require three or more passengers.

Also beginning Monday, the H-1 freeway Lunalilo Street onramp will be reopened one hour earlier, at 8 a.m., on weekdays to optimize traffic flow.

"We also encourage motorists to use transportation alternatives," said state Deputy Transportation Director Jade Butay. "This includes biking to work, taking TheBus and signing students up for public or private school buses."

Butay also advised using the state’s goakamai.org website, which is updated in real time with images of various intersections and freeways around the island.

TheBus will be offering express services during morning and afternoon rush hours to encourage more ridership, said TheBus President and General Manager Roger Morton.

Morton also points commuters to hea.thebus.org, which is optimized for smartphones. The website has real-time information on bus departures and arrivals.

"And if you don’t have a computer or a smartphone, our staff at customer service will be able to help you," Morton said.

Yoshioka touted the city’s plan to build a $60 million joint traffic management center as a solution to ease traffic in the future. The center would consolidate state, city, police and emergency resources into one building.

"Looking toward the future, this traffic management center has pretty much maxed itself out," Yoshioka said of the current facility at Kinalau Place.

DRIVE SMART

State and city officials offer these tips to beat traffic when school is back in session:

>> Visit www.goakamai.org to see real-time updates of traffic around Oahu. It includes a color-coded congestion map.
>> Use the state’s Freeway Service Patrol tow trucks if you’re stranded on the H-1, H-2 or H-201 (Moanalua) freeways. The service is available between 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays except holidays. Call 841-4357.
>> Use TheBus’ hea.thebus.org website to find route updates, real-time bus departures and schedules. You can also call TheBus at 848-5555.
>> Use the state’s Rideshare program, which matches people with car pools in their communities. Call 692-7695.
>> Plan your commute earlier or later to avoid traffic.
>> Keep your vehicle maintained to avoid stalls and breakdowns.
>> Use alternative methods, such as walking or bicycling.