The Georgia Department of Transportation is advising those planning to travel in the downtown area during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, particularly on Friday, to strongly consider a transit option or, if driving, to call 511 or consult www.511ga.org in advance of traveling. Heavy traffic is expected and considerable delays are possible.

While Georgia DOT is suspending construction-related lane closures from Noon, Thursday, until 5 a.m., next Monday, several downtown activities will result in considerable traffic. As many as 250,000 people may attend the annual Peachtree Road Race downtown Friday morning and the Atlanta Braves will host the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday night with a fireworks display to follow. Other fireworks displays also will be held at various venues.

Also, beginning Friday morning and continuing throughout the weekend, the International Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses will be held at the Georgia Dome. Some 34,000 congregates from 14 countries are expected to attend. (A second weekend of the same conference will be held at the Georgia Dome on July 18-20 and the Spanish Jehovah's Witnesses International Convention on August 1-3.)