The Georgia Department of Transportation will begin construction in the right lane of I-985 on Monday, April 22. 

The project will begin at the interstate’s first mile marker, which is near the division of I-985 from I-85 and near Exit 4, which aligns with state route 20 in Buford. 

“We shut down a section of one lane,” Elizabeth Johnson, the Georgia Department of Transportation’s district one communications officer, told The North Gwinnett Voice. “It might be a quarter-of-a-mile closure depending on how big the breakage is. It’s only the segment they’re working on that the closure will be. It won’t disrupt traffic.”

Johnson said the department does regular maintenance on the 24-mile stretch running from Buford to Gainesville. This latest maintenance project will expand into Hall County in areas where there are cracks in the concrete and slabs need to be replaced. The crews will work from Monday to Thursday within the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The entire interstate’s right northbound lane will not be shut down at one time, nor will an extended stretch of the road. 

The construction involves drilling the area of cracked concrete, using heavy machinery to lift the concrete and pouring the new solution. The poured concrete takes a few hours to cure, Johnson said. 

“The roadway will be open as soon as it’s cured,” Johnson said. “We want to make sure it’s open for the evening commute.”

FEATURED PHOTO: Courtesy of AARoads.