A resurfacing project on Ga. Highway 9 in Lumpkin County will close the road from 8 a.m. to dark Mondays through Thursdays this fall.

Crews started work Monday and will be resurfacing and reconstructing the road's shoulders from West Main Street in Dahlonega to the Dawson County line, according to a Georgia Department of Transportation news release.

One lane will be closed and a pilot vehicle with lead motorists through the work zone as construction continues. Delays are expected, especially during the evening commute, according to the release. Work will be restricted on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the fall leaf season.

"The contractor (Baldwin Paving Co.) started removing deeply damaged sections of asphalt and patching those locations," DOT construction engineer Randall Davis said in the release.

"They are concentrating their work from West Main to State Route 52 so they can get out of the high traffic areas as quickly as possible. Patching the entire project area will take about two weeks, then crews will resurface the entire length of the project."

The section of work is 10.5 miles long and the contract is $1.6 million. Expected completion is May 31, according to GDOT officials.

Work will continue until daytime temperatures fall consistently below 65 degrees.

Temperatures must be higher than 65 for the top layer of asphalt to harden to the strength needed to support traffic. Resurfacing will then resume in the spring.