Forget fancy moves on the field for a moment. Chestatee High School's football team will do some maneuvering just to get to and from Friday night's game.

The planned 8 p.m. closing of the Ga. 53/Dawsonville Highway bridge from Hall into Forsyth County will require the northwest Hall school to take another, longer route in its game at Dawson County High School.

Hall school officials aren't taking any chances with the closing, which takes place 30 minutes after the game's scheduled start. Principal Terry Sapp has said Browns Bridge Road also will serve as the detour to Dawson County.

"I already communicated the information to football, band, cheerleading and (the) pep club," Sapp said. "I also asked that the coaches (and) sponsors communicate with parents, fans and bus drivers."

The Georgia Department of Transportation plans to close Boling Bridge for eight weekends for maintenance work.

The completion date for the project is Nov. 30.

The schedule, weather permitting, will be 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday throughout the project, said Teri Pope, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Massana Construction of Tyrone will repair damaged horizontal trusses and bridge joints, and remove and replace the concrete approach slabs to the bridge.

Crews also will lower the new approach slabs by about 5 inches.

Signs will direct motorists to Browns Bridge Road.

Sapp estimates an additional 30 minutes in travel time by taking the Browns Bridge route.

The two-lane, 150-foot bridge, built in 1955, serves as a primary crossing over Lake Lanier.

Little Hall Park, which is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sits on the Hall County side of the bridge.

Chris Lovelady, assistant operations project manager for the corps at Buford Dam, said the project essentially would "cut (the park) off from all of Forsyth County."

Eric Hull, who lives off Dawsonville Highway in West Hall, said he drives across Boling Bridge almost daily for his work.

"I'm in sales and my job takes me all through Georgia, Alabama and to Chattanooga, so that (bridge is) my route to (Ga.) 400," Hull said.

His work requires occasional weekend trips. Plus, he travels into Forsyth County to pick up his sons.

"It's a little convenient, but I really never noticed the bridge - the shape it was in - until we read the article in the paper," Hull said. "And then you drive through and you see it and it's ‘Oh my gosh, yeah, somebody came through here and banged this bridge up pretty good.'

"So, I'm looking forward to them getting it done."