Buford Dam Road travelers beware. Beginning Monday, a portion of the well-traveled corridor will be closed for months.

Gerald Blackburn, Cumming city administrator, said the scheduled closing between Sanders Road and Market Place Boulevard will begin Monday morning.

Detours will include Sanders and Mary Alice Park roads, and Hwys. 9 and 20.

The road closure is expected to last about four months as crews work to replace a culvert near where it crosses Market Place.

The total Buford Dam Road project, which spans from Sanders to Hwy. 9, involves widening the road up to four lanes and installing sidewalks.

It's projected to cost about $3.8 million, with about $1.8 coming from the state.

Construction on the other side of the highway, from Market Place to Hwy. 9, will be going on during the same four-month period as the closure.

It won't, however, require a shutdown.

Assistant city manager Steve Bennett has said that stretch will instead involve only "one-lane traffic and flagmen leading cars."

The total project is scheduled to be complete by the end of September.