I-85 resurfacing over

GAINESVILLE - Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) District Engineer, Larry Dent says the weekend construction on Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County has been finished, five weeks ahead of schedule.

"We started work in April, working just one weekend. In May, we began working most every weekend but we finished in just 12 weekends of work," explained Dent. "We must give the credit to our contractor C. W. Matthews. They worked diligently. Because of the long work window, 56 hours each weekend, we were able to get the massive resurfacing project done even faster than we projected."

Dent says work crews still have to place the permanent striping but before that can be done the asphalt "has to cure." He said the striping is planned weeknights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting next Monday.

"Hopefully," Dent said, "we will be able to complete the striping in 3 nights of work."

Over 33,000 tons of asphalt was laid in the 4.1 mile stretch of I-85 between Old Peachtree Road , Exit 109 and State Route 20, Exit 115. Over 6,600 tons of asphalt was recycled from the old I-85 asphalt and laid back in the roadway.

GDOT spokeswoman Teri Pope said the dry summer was also a factor in being able to finish the project ahead of schedule.

"The drought is only one good for one thing and that is road construction," Pope said. "We're very thankful for the last couple of weeks to get the rain that we've had and we would definitely take time off to allow that rain to occur, but we did finish ahead of schedule in large part due to the (dry weather) we've had."