Georgia DOT Restricts Lane Closures For 5-Day Thanksgiving Holiday
ATLANTA, GA – To ease Thanksgiving traffic congestion statewide, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is suspending construction-related lane closures on interstate highways, heavily traveled state routes from 6 a.m. Wednesday, November 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 26.
Similar restrictions will be in place for Christmas and New Year’s.
“Travel is expected to be at an all-time high this year as people visit friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday and shop on Black Friday,” said Georgia DOT State Construction Engineer John D. Hancock. “In order to provide work-zone free travel, we are limiting construction and associated lane closures.”
The Department reminds travelers to exercise caution as crews may still work in proximity to highways and safety concerns may require some long-term lane closures to remain in place. Also, incident management or emergency, maintenance-related lane closures could become necessary at any time on any interstate or state route.
“We typically see an increase in roadway fatalities during heavy travel holidays,” Hancock said. “I urge drivers to slow down and drive alert. Drivers should adhere to the new hands-free cell phone law that went into effect earlier this year and ensure that everyone in their vehicle is wearing a seatbelt. Let’s make this a happy Thanksgiving for all.”
For up-to-date information about travel conditions on Georgia’s interstates and state routes, call 511 or visit www.511ga.org before heading out. 511 is a free service that provides real-time statewide information on Georgia’s interstates and state routes, including traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures, and delays due to inclement weather 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers can also transfer to operators to request HERO assistance in metro Atlanta or CHAMP service on highways in other regions of the state.
Georgia’s Move-Over Law says drivers must move over one lane or slow down and be prepared to stop when approaching a stationary law enforcement, emergency vehicle, construction crew or utility service vehicle utilizing traffic cones or flashing emergency lights. These include Georgia DOT’s HERO and CHAMP units. While the fine for breaking the law can be stiff, the consequences can be far more serious. Visit www.dot.ga.gov.
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