Motorists will get a holiday from roadwork, as the Georgia Department of Transportation announced it is suspending construction-related lane closures around Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The decision applies to interstate highways, heavily traveled state routes and streets near shopping centers, shopping districts and tourist destinations, officials said. It runs from 6 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26; and from 6 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 30, to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Crews may still be working near highways, and some long-term lane closures may remain in place out of safety considerations, GDOT said. Also, incident management and emergency maintenance-related lane closures could happen at any time on any interstate or state route.

"If you plan to travel during the holidays, I urge you to drive defensively, be extra cautious and alert, and make sure to put the phone down," said John Hancock, GDOT state construction engineer. Information: call 511 or www.511ga.org

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Waymo autonomous vehicles operate across 65 square miles inside I-285 and have been involved in six incidents with Atlanta Public School buses since May. Waymo issued a recall because of their cars briefly stopping or slowing down before continuing forward while a bus was stopped and flashing its lights. (Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools)

Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools