VALDOSTA – Drivers should expect lane closures as work has begun to restripe 27.3 miles of Interstate 75 in Cook and Tift counties.

A Georgia Department of Transportation contractor will be grinding off the existing pavement markings and restriping in Cook County from the Lowndes County line to south of Southwell Boulevard/Exit 59 in Tift County, according to the state Department of Transportation. Raised pavement markers will also be replaced.

The contractor will be working 9 p.m.-5 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday, weather permitting, according to the DOT. Drivers should expect lane closures and short delays. 

State officials caution drivers to slow down when approaching the work zone and keep an eye out for equipment and employees.

RPMs get damaged and striping becomes worn with time. New RPMs and road markings are brighter and easier to see, especially at night and in inclement weather, which can help motorists stay on the roadway and in the proper lane, according to the DOT. 

The cost of the project is $4.2 million and it is expected to be complete by the end of the year.