Police ask public to avoid area around Eisenhower Park during T20 World Cup cricket tournament

Nassau County officials are asking everyone who is not a ticket holder to the upcoming T20 World Cup cricket matches to avoid the area around Eisenhower Park for the next two weeks.

Eisenhower Park will be largely closed during the 12-day tournament, which will host eight cricket matches between Saturday and June 12.

Road closures are planned on match days, starting with Saturday’s warm-up match between India and Bangladesh. Matches are planned every other day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, followed by five straight days with matches from June 8-12.

“If you can, avoid the area during these matches,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. “We are working very hard to make sure the flow of traffic stays open as long as we can, both in the morning and to open up as early as we can at night.”

During match days, Park Boulevard running through the park will be closed in both directions from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Lannin Restaurant at the Eisenhower Park golf course will remain open and the White Course will remain open for scheduled tee times only.

Merrick Avenue, which borders the park, will be closed in both directions between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., from Hempstead Turnpike to Charles Lindbergh Boulevard. Local traffic will only be permitted from Stewart Avenue, heading south to Charles Lindbergh.

Hempstead Turnpike and Old Country Road will remain open at all times.

“Eisenhower Park is basically going to be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” Ryder said. “On the days that there is no match, the park will still be closed because we have to secure that environment, but Park Boulevard will be flowing to get traffic through it.”

Eastbound Charles Lindbergh Boulevard will be closed from Earle Ovington Boulevard between 4:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on match days. Westbound traffic on Charles Lindbergh will remain open at all times to the Meadowbrook Parkway.

Those going to the tournament can exit the Meadowbrook Parkway to head west on Charles Lindbergh to Earle Ovington. Earle Ovington will remain open all day.

Parking for the tournament is available at the Nassau County Veterans Memorial Coliseum parking lot, with overflow parking at Nassau Community College. Shuttle service will run to the Eisenhower Park Aquatic Center.

All tickets for the tournament will be taken at a newly built pedestrian gate at Merrick Avenue and Charles Lindbergh. The entrance is about a half-mile walk from the Nassau Coliseum, Ryder said. The park cannot be entered by foot and all ride-share drop-offs must occur inside the west side of the Nassau Coliseum parking lot.

Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free said the LIRR is adding 29 stops on weekdays, for a total of 65 trains stopping at the Westbury Station, along with weekend service for 32 stops, totaling 64 trains stopping at Westbury on weekends.

NICE Bus is also increasing its service from the Westbury station to Eisenhower Park to accommodate LIRR riders transferring to the tournament.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.