State suspends roadwork for tax-free weekend

Good news first: The Georgia Department of Transportation is suspending construction until 10 p.m. today for roadways within five miles of major shopping areas. That’s because of the Sales Tax Holiday, which started Friday morning.

But wait, there’s more: Even though summer is winding down for school children, the forecast isn’t cooling off. Expect high temperatures in the lower 90s and mostly sunny skies for today and Sunday, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton said. Rain shouldn’t be a factor for outdoor plans.

And now the bad: The Sales Tax Holiday is geared toward back-toschool shoppers as many metro districts return to the classrooms next week. If you’ve held off on purchasing notebooks and pencils to save money, that time is now. But with malls and other retailers expected to be packed with shoppers, bring some patience along with the supply lists.

Lane closures: Construction projects will resume late today after the temporary halt. On I-285 northbound, one lane and part of the entrance and exit ramps from SR 260/Glenwood Road to Chamblee Tucker Road will close from 10 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Monday for striping. Also, bridge work on Spaghetti Junction will require a traffic shift and one lane closure on the eastbound ramp to I-85 northbound from 10 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Monday.

On I-20, three westbound lanes will close from Windsor Street to Langhorn Street from 10 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Monday. One northbound and one southbound lane will close on I-75 from SR 139/ Riverdale Road to Cleveland Avenue from 10 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Monday for striping. The Express Lanes project will require a pacing operation northbound and southbound on I-75 at the Hickory Grove Road overpass and at the Canton Connector from 10:30 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. today. Traffic traveling toward the Canton Connector will be detoured unto Barrett Parkway.

And traffic in Alpharetta today will be affected by the 11 a.m. private funeral for Bobbi Kristina Brown, Alpharetta police said Friday. Webb Bridge Road in front of St. James United Methodist Church will be closed, and other roads in the area may be temporarily closed or have lane restrictions.

What’s going on: Aaron’s Ampitheatre at Lakewood will host the band Phish for concerts Friday and today before Nicki Minaj takes the stage Sunday night. The “Praise in the Park” music festival will be held at Centennial Olympic Park from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today. Philips Arena will host country singer Shania Twain at 7:30 p.m. today.