Wahiawa schoolchildren and their parents have adjusted to the disruption to their schedules caused by the closure of the Karsten Thot Bridge, but businesses continue to struggle.

Dole Plantation on Tuesday canceled its popular Family Fun Day that helps children from the North Shore and Central Oahu. The event had been scheduled for Oct. 20 and typically draws families from across Oahu.

But Dole officials said they do not want to add to the traffic congestion created by the state Department of Transportation’s decision to close the 80-year-old bridge for at least six weeks of repairs that began Sept. 17.

Family Fun Day draws an "increased amount of traffic even on a ‘normal’ Saturday with the Karsten Thot Bridge open as usual," Mike Moon, director of Dole Plantation operations, told the Star-Advertiser in an email Tuesday. "… While we were all disappointed, we felt that it would be irresponsible for us to hold the event and exacerbate the traffic, which is really impacting the daily lives of Central Oahu and North Shore residents with no certain end date."

Hundreds of children — and several teachers — at Wahiawa Elementary, Wahiawa Middle School and Leilehua High School were as much as hours late on the first Monday of the closure after getting stuck in gridlock, principals at the three schools said.

"Right now, we’re very good," Wahiawa Middle Principal Gayle Yamaguchi said. "But the first day was the worst."

Out of 800 students at Wahiawa Middle, 102 were tardy on Sept. 17 even after the school warned parents in letters and an auto-dial system called every student’s home the Sunday before school.

Leilehua High School Principal Aloha Coleman called that first day "frustrating" after 150 students out of 1,800 became stuck aboard three buses coming from Whitmore Village and Schofield Barracks.

While parents and children have since adapted by beginning their morning commutes much earlier, the principals said, the DOT can no longer predict exactly how long the situation will continue.

The original plan was to have repairs completed in six weeks.

But a subsequent decision to open the southbound lane on Karsten Thot Bridge for four hours during the morning commute has pushed back the original completion deadline indefinitely, DOT spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter said.

"We can’t hold to that deadline," she said. "It’ll probably be longer than six weeks."

Sluyter expressed appreciation for the efforts of Hono­lulu police and the military in dealing with the congestion, and apologized for the inconvenience to drivers and businesses that are losing customers.

But Mike Richards, owner of Perk-A-Lot Coffee & Sandwich Shop on Kilani Avenue in Wahiawa, has cut back on his normal pastry orders to compensate for a 75 percent drop in his tourist business since Sept. 17 — which accounts for about one-third of his sales. He also missed the surge in sales that accompanies the start of the North Shore big-wave surfing season.

Losing 75 percent of visitors’ business in less than two weeks "is pretty substantial," he said.

"When tourists are here and they hear about big waves, where do they want to go? The North Shore," Richards said. "But anyone going to the North Shore sees that the bridge is out, which means I’m losing business."

Tourists normally are attracted by positive reviews they read on Yelp about Perk-A-Lot Coffee & Sandwich Shop, Richards said. They can still reach his shop, which is next to Wahiawa General Hospital.

"But if they see the detour signs, they’re going to have to be adventurous," Richards said. "That’s why I’m not ordering as much stock."

U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii announced changes at Schofield Barracks’ McNair and Macomb gates to help the afternoon traffic flow on Wilikina Drive.

Schofield traffic exiting McNair Gate will be limited to right turns south on Wili-kina Drive from 5 to 7:30 a.m., and from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Likewise, left turns will not be allowed from Wilikina Drive into McNair Gate during those hours.

Schofield traffic exiting Macomb Gate will be restricted to left turns north on Wilikina Drive from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Left turns into Macomb Gate from Wilikina Drive will be allowed.