After five months, paving that started in June is complete on a Ga. 365 resurfacing project in Hall and Habersham counties.

The project — on a 21-mile stretch of road from Ga. 53 to Ga. 17 — required removing up to 8 inches of damaged asphalt and laying down a new surface. The project has a contract with C.W. Matthews Contracting of Marietta that totals $19.2 million.

Striping and cleanup work is still left, and DOT officials say that work will continue on weekdays since temperatures have dropped, making night work impossible. The contract does not allow work on the weekends. The project is well ahead of the contract completion date of June 30.

“The contractor plans to finish the work before the end of the year,” said Todd McDuffie, Gainesville-based District 1 engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation. “Thank you for your patience while this work occurred. We are glad to be almost out of your way.”

Ga. 365 serves as a main artery for leaf watchers headed to and from the North Georgia mountains.