GDOT: Expect slowdown on I-75 through Bartow on Thursday

Drivers heading to and from Atlanta on I-75 Thursday should be prepared for a lane-closing in Bartow County.

Georgia Department of Transportation crews will be replacing signs on the interstate just south of Exit 288 — the Main Street, Ga. 113 exit in Cartersville.

“Weather permitting ... crews will replace the northbound sign first and then replace a sign along the southern lanes,” GDOT District Six spokesman Joe Schulman said in a press release Wednesday.

The work is scheduled between 9 a.m. and noon for the northbound sign and from 1 to 4 p.m. for the southbound sign. During that time, the right lane and road shoulder will be closed.

Motorists are advised to exercise caution, and reduce their speed while traveling through work zones. Before heading out, get real-time information on work status and traffic conditions. Call 511, visit 511ga.org, or download the Georgia 511 app.

President Donald Trump invoked emergency authority to marshal industry to fight the coronavirus as the economic fallout from the crisis mounted. The entire U.S. auto industry announced it was shutting down its North American factories. Stocks tumbled again on fears of a prolonged recession, falling so fast they triggered another automatic trading halt. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed more than 1,300 points, or over 6 percent, and has now lost nearly all of the big gains it had posted since Trump’s inauguration.

NUMBER OF WORLDWIDE

CASES TOPS 200,000

The number of people infected worldwide surpassed the 200,000 mark. Deaths topped 8,700, but the number of people considered recovered reached over 83,000, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. The countries with the most confirmed cases were China, Italy, Iran, Spain and Germany. The countries with the most confirmed deaths were China, Italy, Iran, Spain and France. The United Nations warned that the pandemic could lead to the loss of nearly 25 million jobs around the world.

BORDERS SLAM SHUT

More borders slammed shut across Europe and North America, with the U.S. and Canada closing their boundaries to all but essential travel. Trump says he plans to assert extraordinary powers to immediately turn back to Mexico anyone who crosses over the southern border illegally. European Union leaders agreed to shut down the bloc’s external borders and ban entry of most foreigners for 30 days.

CANCER, HEART SURGERIES DELAYED Doctors in virtually every field are scrambling to alter care as the virus spreads. Some cancer surgeries are being delayed, many stent procedures for clogged arteries have been pushed back and infertility specialists