Athens-Clarke County plans to close Whitehall Road between the Middle Oconee River and Milledge Avenue for three–four months in the summer of 2015, altering the flow of traffic into and out of Oconee County via Simonton Bridge Road.

Traffic probably will be rerouted along U.S. Highway 441 and Old Macon Highway to Milledge Avenue.

Emil Beshara, head of the Oconee County Public Works Department, said he has exchanged messages with David Clark, his counterpart in Athens-Clarke County, about the road closing.

“The impact on Oconee County will likely mostly center on drastically increased volume on Old Macon Highway,” Beshara said. “It is unavoidable and temporary, so I don't think it's going to be a big deal.”

The Athens-Clarke County Commission gave tentative approval to the roadway improvement at its agenda-setting meeting on Thursday night.

For more, visit Oconee County Observations.