Boling Bridge motorists will get a reprieve tonight from a Georgia Department of Transportation maintenance project.

The DOT has been working Fridays through Monday mornings on the project, but this weekend's efforts won't start until 8 a.m. Saturday.

The work will continue, as usual, until 5 a.m. Monday.

"The maintenance work is slightly ahead of schedule," said Randall Davis, DOT district construction engineer.

"This weekend, crews will finish heat-straightening sections of the damaged sway bracing. The contractor can't begin the next phase of work until next weekend."

The next phase will entail workers removing concrete approach slabs on each end of the 55-year-old bridge and repouring new concrete, Davis said.

The schedule of 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday will resume next week.

This is the fourth of eight weekends of maintenance work on the two-lane, 150-foot green bridge, which serves as a primary crossing over Lake Lanier.

The contractor, Massana Construction of Tyrone, is repairing damaged horizontal trusses, repairing bridge joints and replacing the concrete slabs.

Crews will lower the new approach slabs by about 5 inches.

The DOT has put up signs showing the detour route, which is Ga. 369/Browns Bridge Road.