The Georgia Department of Transportation repaving project on Highway 27 between Maple Street and Home Depot is almost finished, well ahead of the original completion date of Oct. 31. The final pieces of the work are expected to be complete by the end of next week.

The work on the 2.2-mile stretch of road is being performed by Marietta-based CW Matthews Contracting, with the DOT footing the total cost of the project, set at $1.3 million.

The company has already finished all of the resurfacing work, which is the bulk of the project.

Assuming the weather cooperates, crews should finish installing loops around the traffic lights along that stretch tonight, according to Teri Pope, a spokeswoman for the Northeast Georgia district of the DOT. Loops are sensors in the asphalt that can tell when a vehicle is there and trigger the signal to change colors or give a left turn arrow. The sensors are electromagnetic so every vehicle, from as small as a motorcycle to as big as a tractor trailer, will trigger them.

From there, crews will put down permanent striping, as all striping now is temporary and would not last while exposed to the elements very long. They will also install raised pavement markers, which are the reflectors that run along the striping, helping drivers better see the lanes while navigating through inclement weather. Those reflectors also alert drivers as to when they are drifting out of their lane by making a thudding sound when driven across.

Pope said it was a combination of the nature of the work and the nice weather that made it possible to complete the project so far ahead of schedule.

“Resurfacings like this one are the least complicated of all the work we do, so the work usually goes pretty fast. Overnight work helps us get roadwork done quicker. We have a longer window to work, and there are fewer vehicles in the roadway overnight too,” she said. “When the weather cooperates we can get work done much faster. Dry weather and overnight work allowed us to get this work completed so quickly. We are proud to get the work done and get our of your way.”