Central Oahu and North Shore residents reported lengthy delays in getting to work and school — and at least one shop said it had little business — because of the traffic snarl caused by construction on the two-lane Karsten Thot Bridge in Wahiawa.

The state Department of Transportation received dozens of complaints Monday from infuriated motorists about the traffic mess due to the bridge closure. Monday was the first day of a six-week closure as contractors of Abhe & Svoboda Inc. began repairs to the 80-year-old bridge at Wahiawa town’s north entrance.

Motorists told the Star-Advertiser that gridlock seemed the worst in the Schofield Barracks area Monday morning. Traffic is being routed to Wili­kina Drive and Kama­na­nui Road during repairs.

Whitmore Village resident DeeDee Iman said it took her three hours to reach her workplace at Kaimuki High School, nearly two hours later than normal, and her seventh-grade son didn’t get to Wahiawa Middle School until 9:30 a.m. after her oldest son had to drive him because the school bus was more than an hour late.

"This is ridiculous," said Iman. "Somebody needs to do something."

An inspector from the Department of Transportation was in Wahiawa to monitor traffic Monday morning. The inspector was to resume monitoring traffic this morning. If traffic is again backed up, the state will look into possible modifications to accommodate motorists.

Transportation spokes­woman Caroline Sluyter said contractors will work days, nights and weekends to expedite repairs. "We realize it’s a big inconvenience," she said, adding that the closure was necessary for safety reasons.

Major structural repairs are being done to the bridge. Cost for the project is estimated at about $3 million. About 23,000 drivers use the bridge daily.

Sluyter said the state hired additional special-duty police officers to direct traffic at intersections in response to complaints.

Affected residents were also upset that the state did not give them at least a week’s advance notice about the bridge closure. The state informed the public Thursday.

Silvia Koch, treasurer of the Wahiawa Neighborhood Board, said a board meeting was to be held Monday night and that she expected residents to raise concerns about traffic. There was little time for the community to prepare for the bridge closure, said Koch. "We just need to be patient and work together," she said.

Whitmore Village residents were heavily affected by the closure.

Resident Karlynne Maga­oay said adding more police officers will not help alleviate traffic. It took her a half-hour to reach Whitmore Avenue from Hele­mano Elementary School, where she dropped off her two daughters, ages 10 and 7. The drive from the road to the school usually takes less than a minute.

Magaoay said it’s impossible to adjust her schedule during the bridge closure. "How do you adjust your schedule with little ones?" she asked, adding she will not leave her children alone at school during the early morning hours. "What do I do? Drop off my kids at 5:30 a.m. to school?"

Magaoay said it took her an hour and 45 minutes to reach Xcel Wetsuits in Hale­iwa, where she works as store manager. It usually takes her 15 minutes to drive to Hale­iwa from Whitmore Village. "It’s just such a huge inconvenience," she said.

Traffic also affected some businesses.

Magaoay looked over her desk Monday afternoon at Xcel Wetsuits, where only one or two customers walked in. "It’s really empty," she said.

However, Rachel Erickson, manager of Breakers Restaurant & Bar at the North Shore Marketplace, said the number of tourists who dined at the establishment was about the same as before the construction.