Road construction crews are focusing on daytime work only as they wrap up a $19.2 million resurfacing project on Ga. 365.

"Based on contract stipulations, lane closures cannot occur weekends, and temperatures are too cold for overnight work, so the balance of the work will occur weekdays," said Todd McDuffie, Gainesville-based District 1 engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The contract with C.W. Matthews Contracting of Marietta had a special clause prohibiting weekend lane closings because of seasonal traffic, effective Sept. 15

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

Crews will work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, but they can't work in northbound lanes during the evening rush hour and southbound lanes during the morning rush hour, said Teri Pope, District 1 spokeswoman.

The project, which began in June, is taking place along a 21-mile stretch connecting Ga. 52 in Hall County to U.S. 441/Ga. 17 in Habersham County.

The work calls for removing up to 8 inches of damaged asphalt and putting down a new, smooth driving surface.

As of Sept. 30, the project was 81 percent complete, well ahead of the contract completion date of June 30, 2012, Pope said.

"The final driving surface or topping is down in the through lanes on the entire project," McDuffie said.

The top layer "has to go down in right-turn lanes and median crossovers" from Jaemor Farm Road to Ga. 384/Duncan Bridge Road, he added.

"Crews expect to complete that work by the middle of next week if the weather cooperates. Once this paving is completed, the only work left is to stripe the roadway."

C.W. Matthews plans to finish the work before the end of the year, McDuffie said.