Athens Highway/U.S. 129 motorists could switch over to new lanes in front of Sugar Hill Elementary School in East Hall in late October or early November. 

Traffic will flow on the new lanes between Bob Bryant Road and A.L. Mangum Road while crews will rebuild the old lanes along that stretch, Georgia Department of Transportation district spokeswoman Katie Strickland said.

The work is part of a 7-mile widening of U.S. 129 from Gillsville Highway/Ga. 323 in East Hall to Talmo in Jackson County from two to four lanes.

Heavy grading has otherwise taken place along the project, giving shape to the new road’s route.

The project also includes a new bridge over Allen Creek, south of Pond Fork Church Road in Jackson.

Hall County officials have said the project is especially important for safety reasons — it will straighten out dangerous curves — and will help commercial truck traffic, as U.S. 129 runs from Interstate 985 in Hall to Interstate 85 in Jackson.

The road follows a mostly rural route with scattered businesses and homes.

It’s particularly popular in the fall, with traffic flowing to University of Georgia football games.

The $44.1 million project began in 2016 and has an April 2020 completion date.

Pittman Construction Co. of Conyers is the project’s contractor.