A third lane is now open on I-85 Northbound in Jackson County as the Georgia Department of Transportation continues its widening project there.
The new lane is open between U.S. 129 in Jefferson and U.S. 441 near Commerce. It is part of Phase III of GDOT's widening project, which seeks to widen the interstate to three lanes from Gwinnett County to the South Carolina state line. The third lane on the southbound side of the interstate is still under construction but is expected to be open in the next week.
GDOT officials say the goal of the project is to increase traffic capacity and improve flow between the Metro Atlanta area and South Carolina.
Work is still ongoing on replacing bridges over I-85 in the area is still ongoing.