ATLANTA -- Get ready for some weekend traffic jams on the Downtown Connector, where Interstates 75 and 85 converge and lead into Atlanta.

An eight-month re-paving project starts Friday and will continue on the weekends.

The contractor, E.R. Snell, has drafted a plan for almost no work on traffic lanes from Monday to Friday, so weekday commuters should not be affected. The state wants to get the work done by Nov. 30. That means weekend travelers will deal with traffic delays.

Officials with the Georgia Department of Transportation said Tuesday that some part of the connector will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for 30 weeks or more. Commuters are being advised to avoid the connector if possible during that time.

But the work is starting just in time for baseball season, so thousands of Atlanta Braves fans will have to deal with potential backups when nighttime home games end.

The Connector was last paved right before the 1996 Olympic Games. Officials said the pavement has reached the end of its lifespan.

Downtown traffic is already being impacted by the 14th Street bridge replacement project. A busy off-ramp from the Connector to the 14th/17th Street area has been closed, meaning hundreds of cars have to take detours during the week.