travelers during the Thanksgiving holiday. The Georgia Department of Transportation will suspend all construction-related lane closures on interstate highways and primary state roads in Northwest Georgia from noon on Wednesday, November 21 through 9 p.m. on Sunday, November 25, 2012.

“Northwest Georgians have been very patient with our construction work throughout the year,” says DeWayne Comer, district engineer at the DOT office in Cartersville. “We appreciate it very much and enjoy giving them these well-deserved breaks from lane closures. We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving.”

The Department reminds travelers to exercise caution nonetheless as heavy holiday traffic is expected throughout the state. In addition, crews may be working and equipment may be staged in proximity to roadways; and safety concerns may require some long-term lane closures remain in place. Also, incident management or emergency maintenance-related lane closures could become necessary on any route.

Motorists can access real-time, statewide, route-specific information on accidents, road work, traffic and weather conditions through Georgia 511 - a free phone service. By dialing 511, callers also can transfer to operators to 24 hours a day to report incidents or request assistance.

The system can be used to access transit providers, major airports, rideshare organizations, tourism information and 511 systems in surrounding states. Additionally, 511 is available online.

Georgia DOT partners with sponsors for assistance in funding 511, thereby preserving tax dollars and helping sustain critical services. For more information about 511, visit 511ga.org.

For more information on Georgia DOT, please visit www.dot.ga.gov.