Gwinnett Daily Post

Photo by Brian Giandelone

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Transportation officials are making sure the roads are free from construction for this Memorial Day weekend.

But the next weekend promises to bring a headache to Gwinnettians.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has suspended any construction related lane closures until 10 p.m. Monday, pleading with drivers to show extra caution during the expected heavy traffic from the holiday.

"Historically, Georgia experiences more than 2,000 crashes resulting in more than a dozen fatalities and more than 1,000 injuries during the Memorial Day weekend," Transportation Commissioner Vance. C. Smith Jr. said. "Enjoy your holiday, but please be very careful while driving."

A week from now, leaders expect big delays, when crews work through the weekend to resurface Ga. Highway 316 eastbound from Interstate 85 to Sugarloaf Parkway.

But the benefits could be dramatic, with a little extra room after the project is complete.

"Gwinnett County's Contractor, C.W. Matthews, will close one of the two lanes at a time to remove old asphalt, replace with new asphalt and stripe the lanes," a press release from the department said. "Crews are extending the outside lane from the interstate to Sugarloaf Parkway creating additional room for merging traffic."

Spokeswoman Teri Pope said delays are likely to extend onto I-85 north, and she's advising people to avoid the area, especially the night of Sunday, June 5.

Work will begin at 9 p.m. Friday, June 3, and continue until 5 a.m. Monday, June 6. Crews should be out of the way by the Monday morning rush hour.

For updates on lane closures and road construction, go to www.511ga.org.