An Interstate 75 shoulder maintenance project that is about to get under way will require intermittent single lane closures.

Contractor Wall Asphalt Services Inc. of Carrollton will be working between milepost 31.25 in Lowndes County and 52.61 in Cook County. Wall expects to begin Feb. 5 but will not be on site continuously during the duration of the project.

The project includes sealing the joint between the concrete lanes of I-75 South and North and the asphalt inside and outside shoulders. In some places grass and weeds have grown in the joint. Wall will also seal cracked asphalt on the shoulders and seal around guardrail posts as needed. The project includes ramps. Sealing prevents water from seeping into and eroding sub-level dirt, which could compromise the surface. It is done to preserve pavement.

The adjacent lane will close when the contractor is working on the shoulder. I-75 lanes will taper from three to two as drivers approach the area of work. Lane closures will be intermittent and will occur only when the contractor is on site working, which will be weekdays during daylight hours. The project is expected to be complete by the end of February. The timetable is subject to change depending on weather and the contractor's schedule.

The pavement preservation is being done through maintenance service contracts totaling $435,300. The money for these types of contracts comes from the Transportation Funding Act (TFA) of 2015. The Georgia Department of Transportation uses the sustained annual revenue from the TFA to launch much-needed routine maintenance and capital improvements.