President’s Day will be a work day for contractors who are getting down to work on a needed safety project on Highway 101.

The City of Rockmart announced for the second time in recent days a reminder to drivers that coming up next week, traffic will be down to one lane in both directions as work gets underway on repairs to a railroad crossing that accesses the industrial park.

Outside contractors selected by the group of local industries in the Northwest Technical Park in Rockmart who are paying for the work will be replacing tracks and fixing the crossing on Highway 101 beginning on February 17. That work is expected to take until March 3.

The Rockmart Development Authority owns the crossing that ultimately accesses rail lines running out of Rockmart, and in an agreement with industries in the industrial park they pay for maintenance on the lines.

“Our goal with this upcoming fix is to ensure people traveling down Highway 101 have an easier time of crossing, but also ensuring that the access that our industrial partners in the park need won’t be cut off thanks to these safer rails being installed,” Rockmart City Manager Stacey Smith said.

Contractors are expected to be done with the work by early, but that is based on weather and any other potential delays that may come up during the repair work.

Until the work is completed, Hwy. 101 will be a one-lane of traffic roadway throughout day and night until the work is completed. The city is asking that drivers with smaller vehicles (without any trailers attached) take a detour utilizing Brock and Marquette Roads or Wood Road to get around the one-lane traffic for the time being.

Smith added her thanks to drivers who daily commute on Highway 101 for their patience during the repair work.

“We understand that this is an inconvenience for our residents, but one that will make life easier in the long run,” she said.

This is the latest round of improvement work to get underway on Highway 101 on the approach into the city’s biggest intersection with Highway 278 (Nathan Dean Parkway) and North Piedmont Avenue.

Contractors for GDOT last year replaced a bridge on the major thoroughfare. Track work across Hwy. 101 at Brock Road also was completed in recent years.