ATLANTA — To enable Georgia motorists to more easily enjoy Labor Day weekend’s figurative end of summer, the state Department of Transportation is suspending construction-related lane closures from 5 a.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Tuesday.  
The department is reminding travelers to exercise caution as heavy holiday traffic is expected throughout the state. Crews still may be working in proximity to highways, and safety concerns may require some long-term lane closures remain in place. Also, incident management or emergency maintenance-related lane closures could become necessary at any time on any route.
“We’ve averaged nearly 2,000 accidents across our state during recent Labor Day weekends,” Transportation Commissioner Vance C. Smith Jr. said. “On average, more than 15 people die and more than 900 are injured on Georgia roads each year during this holiday. It should be a time of rest and festivities dedicated to working men and women, not of tragedy and grief. Please be very careful and do not drive distracted or while impaired.”
A Boston union began the celebration of Labor Day in 1878. It became a federal holiday 16 years later at the behest of President Grover Cleveland during a period of trade union unrest.