The Athens Highway/U.S. 129 widening in East Hall is being delayed by a year because of "significant utility delays," Georgia Department of Transportation District Engineer Kelvin Mullins said Wednesday, May 20.

The delay is because of water line relocation issues, he said during a Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce transportation forum.

Mullins didn’t elaborate in the teleconference, and DOT officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

“This (project) is one that a lot of people were probably expecting would be completed this year. It’s not going to be open this summer,” Mullins said. “It’ll probably be next summer.”

The 7-mile, $45 million project, which began in August 2016, runs between Gillsville Highway/Ga. 332 in Hall to Talmo in Jackson County.

The road is considered a vital truck/commerce route as it connects Interstate 85 to Interstate 985, especially as the DOT is widening I-85 from four to six lanes between Ga. 53 and Ga. 129.

“We just awarded the (I-85) project recently (to a contractor),” DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said during the forum.

The widening is “very critical because both Braselton and Jefferson have such a big freight distribution warehousing area, but also it makes that critical connection to U.S. 129,” McMurry said. “Having this connection radiating north and east will benefit Hall County, without a doubt.”