Crews are scheduled to complete all paving operations on Route 17 at Gloucester Point before the Memorial Day weekend, said Kelly Hannon, a Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman.

The present milling and paving project, which began about two weeks ago, is mostly complete, Hannon said Tuesday. That work has entailed alternating lane closures in both northbound and southbound lanes from near the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge toll plaza to about one mile north.

According to Hannon, the southbound lane paving was completed a few days ago, while the northbound paving is expected to be completed this Friday. This phase of the road improvement project, which began two years ago, involves the installation of a final asphalt surface on the busy highway.

Then, crews will be doing spot paving over the next week or so, such as tie-ins at the entrances to cross streets, Hannon said.

The paving has caused some traffic backups, she said, but Virginia State Police have been assigned to the corridor to help direct traffic at intersections.

Construction is running ahead of the original schedule, Hannon said, and crews anticipate completing the Route 17 improvement project in July, several months ahead of the estimated October 2011 date.

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