Construction will begin tonight at 7 p.m. on a bridge preservation project on the Hwy. 53 eastbound bridge over the Chattahoochee River near Gainesville Marina.

This project will paint the bridge's steel structure and replace the joints. This work will continue nightly 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. with single intermittent lane closures, reducing the bridge to one lane overnight. The work is expected to be complete in mid-January, weather permitting.

This project was awarded to S & D Industrial Painting Inc., of Tarpon Springs, Fla. This project was awarded together with another bridge over the Chattahoochee on Hwy. 60 which will not begin until after the new year. This bridge preservation project represents a $1.2 million construction investment in Hall County.

Officials urge caution when entering the work zone.