Traffic was backed up nearly three miles in the north lanes of Interstate 985 Friday as the Georgia Department of Transportation replaced message boards.

At 12:30 p.m. Friday, traffic was moving slowly just north of exit 12. The work was between exits 12 and 17 – near the mile 15 marker.

The lane closure on I-985 northbound is expected to be removed about 4:30 p.m. today. Work is expected to continue on the shoulder for another hour, Mohammed Arafa, with GDOT, said by email.

The DOT on Saturday plans to replace changeable message boards just north of exit 24 on I-985. The right southbound lane and shoulder of I-985 there are expected to be closed 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Again, Arafa said the shoulder of the road is expected to be closed an hour longer.

Earlier in the week, the work was delayed because of snow showers and freezing temperatures.

“The existing signs are old — over 20 years — and technically out-of-date,” Arafa has said of the efforts. “They no longer effectively provide the desired level of information service, which the new ones do.”