JESUP — The Georgia Department of Transportation wants to add to your holiday cheer by suspending construction-related lane closures for the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays.

The GDOT announced Friday that all scheduled and ongoing construction-related lane closures on interstates, major routes and roads near major shopping areas in southeast Georgia would be suspended for the holidays. The Christmas suspension will begin at 5 a.m. Wednesday and continue until 10 p.m. Dec. 27. The New Year’s suspension will be from 5 a.m. Dec. 31 through 5 a.m. Jan. 2.  

“We know that a lot of people will be hitting the road for the year-end holiday season, and we want to make it a little easier for them to go through Georgia and arrive safely at their destinations,” DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said. “Georgia DOT is suspending all scheduled lane closures on our interstates and other major state routes. I urge all motorists to do their part to keep one another safe by obeying all traffic laws and being courteous to their fellow travelers. Please drive safely and enjoy the holidays.”

“Emergency maintenance work in the case of traffic accidents and other unpredictable types of transportation incidents could still cause lane closures and/or delays. However, all construction-related lane closures will be suspended in southeast Georgia,” said Karon Ivery, district engineer at the DOT office in Jesup.

For updated information about travel conditions on Georgia’s interstates and state routes, GDOT advises travelers to call 511 or consult www.511ga.org before heading out. Georgia 511 is a free service that provides traffic and travel information statewide. Callers also can transfer to operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Also note that Georgia’s move-over law requires drivers to move over one lane when a law-enforcement or emergency vehicle or construction crew is on the side of the road and displaying flashing emergency lights. If it is unsafe to move over, then slow down below the posted speed.