Just in time for the evening commute, Buford Dam Road at Lake Lanier reopened Friday, two weeks ahead of schedule. Earlier this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had shut down a 2-mile stretch of the corridor, from Samples Road to East Bank Park on the other side of the lake in Gwinnett County, in order to repave it.“Because the road was closed to traffic, the paving project was completed ahead of the Nov. 4 reopening date,” said Chris Lovelady, assistant operations project manager.Lovelady thanked commuters for their cooperation in using the detours and “both Gwinnett and Forsyth counties for their assistance.”To get across the lake while the road was closed, drivers had to take either Hwy. 20, to the south, or Hwy. 369, to the north.Eastbound traffic snarled along Hwy. 20, with back-ups at times stretching for miles.While motorists who normally traveled Buford Dam Road noticed increased travel time during the shutdown, businesses along the route were hit hard. Eddie Akbarshahi, owner of Buford Dam Quick Stop at Buford Dam and Samples/Lanier Beach South roads, hopes he can recoup the cost of lost business.