The Georgia Department of Transportation will spend more than $3 million for road projects in Oconee County as part of an $82.7 million statewide construction and maintenance upgrade.

A GDOT upgrade list released last month includes 37 projects across the state, two of which are in Oconee County. The first involves 9.3 miles of Macon Highway beginning at the Appalachee River Bridge and ending at the intersection of the business route for State Road 24, where it heads toward Watkinsville. The $2.5 million project will include milling, resurfacing, and shoulder rehab. The project has a listed completion date of April 30, 2017.

A second project, marked at $619,000, will address signage and striping upgrades at locations across Oconee County. This project has a completion date of Nov. 30, 2017.

“One of the most important duties of state government is to ensure our infrastructure is up to date,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Cowsert, R-Athens. “The state of our roads and bridges affect the transportation of cargo, commuters, shoppers, and even our children trying to get to school in the morning. We must ensure that critical state routes are upgraded, are safe, and that repairs are completed in a timely, cost-efficient manner. I commend the DOT for recognizing the need of these projects in Oconee County and for their hard work and commitment to getting this done.”

Information on schedules, lane closures and detours will be made available on the Georgia DOT Website in advance of construction activities.