Hanauma Bay, one of the most popular attractions on the island, will be closed to commercial traffic and the city bus for three weeks starting tomorrow as crews work to repave a road and parking lot at the nature preserve.

Sightseeing tours are expecting some financial hit from the closure, though operators say they're happy to see that the rutted parking lot and roadway used by commercial vehicles are getting revamped. Meanwhile, the change means city bus users will have a bit of a walk to get to the bay.

Instead of using a bus stop inside the park, visitors will be dropped off at an existing stop near the Kalaniana'ole Highway entrance to the park and picked up at a stop across the road, said Roger Morton, president and general manager of O'ahu Transit Services, which operates TheBus under contract with the city.

Though having people cross Kalaniana'ole to get to the bus stop is not ideal, Morton said there is a marked crosswalk from the entrance of Hanauma Bay to the stop for Waikiki-bound buses. And he said there are pull-offs at both stops on Kalaniana'ole just outside the bay — so traffic back-ups won't be a problem.

The bigger issue for some city bus users trying to get to Hanauma might be the walk from the roadway to the park. Though it's short, the walk is on a fairly steep hill with no sidewalks, which could be hard for seniors, the disabled or small children.

Visitors Karen Clairmont and Jaimie Feltault, of Chicago, got to the park by city bus recently and were dropped off at the entrance stop because the park hadn't yet opened. They said the walk down the hill into the park in the morning wasn't bad.

But, Clairmont said, "it would be a hassle if we had to go back up."

Morton said Handi-Vans will be allowed to go into the preserve while the commercial lot is closed, so those who are disabled will still have access. Riders with the service must register to be eligible for the Handi-Van and reserve a seat, however.

Les Chang, director of the city Department of Parks and Recreation, stressed that private vehicles will be unaffected by the parking lot and roadway work. He said he understands the work will be an inconvenience to tour operators and bus users.

Chang estimated about 10 tour groups visit the park "first thing in the morning."

And over the course of the day, three to five tour groups visit every hour.

"From a tour standpoint, this could be the No. 1 destination," he said.

But Chang said the finished product — a rehabilitated road and parking lot — will improve the experience for visitors, who come in on tour buses for 15-minute stints to snap pictures and take in the scenery. They are not allowed to swim at the park under a 1990 management plan aimed at stopping overcrowding at the bay.

Mihoko Brown, sales specialist at TP Transportation, said Hanauma Bay is the most popular stop on the sightseeing tours the company runs. Daily, the operator has at least three tour buses stopping there — sometimes, even more.

Brown expects to see fewer riders on sightseeing tours while the bay is inaccessible.

"I'm sure it will affect all tour agents," she said.

Hanauma Bay is closed every Tuesday to commercial and private users to allow the park some time to recuperate after busy weekends. On Tuesdays, tour buses usually stop at Halona Blowhole instead, but they haven't been doing that because the blowhole lot is closed for renovations.

Chang said he hopes to get the blowhole lot open again early this month to accommodate the sightseers.