HARLEM, Ga. (WJBF) – A GDOT project spanning from the McDuffie County line to the Richmond County line is causing some delays in Harlem.

“A lot of people fussing about it, but that’s progress,” said Harlem resident Clay Wright.

The paving project impacts several miles of US Highway 278, but business owners said they haven’t seen much of an impact. Still, they wish something would be done about trucks bottoming out on the railroad tracks.

“If they would just raise the road, from maybe that house to that side of the church, and get rid of some of that angle on the railroad tracks where they cross right there, it would probably prevent trucks from getting hung up right there,” said Robert Jongma, the owner of Robert’s Precision Tool. “It would be nice if they did that.”

If you’re entering the highway from side streets, either lane could be closed and you may have to follow a pilot car. 

“Oh yes a little traffic, they got flagmans and you have to wait until the pilot car comes back and then go so it holds up traffic a little bit, but it don’t bother me,” said Harlem resident Jessie Johnson.

But some people say that traffic is just the price of progress.

“I think the roads were getting in bad shape and I think they needed it to because you an see broken places in the pavement and everything else,” said Harlem resident Robert Seawell. “That’s really an improvement for us around here. So other than that, it’s held up traffic going up through that lot, because you know it’s a busy place right up through the main drag here.”

And they have faith that things will be back to normal very soon.

“Fifteen minute wait, it’s not bad,” Wright said. “And as fast as they’re going, they’ll be probably be done I’ll say in the Harlem area within a week. They’ll probably be out of Harlem heading out toward Richmond County.”

The project should be complete by mid-December.