'101 Slow Jam' reopens hours ahead of schedule

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The 2.5 mile stretch of the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles that was shut down for the start of the historic Sixth Street Bridge's demolition has reopened hours ahead of schedule Sunday morning.

The project, dubbed the "101 Slow Jam," shut down at 10 p.m. Friday and was initially scheduled to reopen at about 2 p.m. on Sunday. Officials instead reopened the northbound lanes at 10 a.m. and the southbound lanes about 15 minutes later.

The early opening of the stretch that connects downtown L.A. and Boyle Heights was good news for football fans hoping for a quick commute to their Super Bowl parties on Game Day.

The 84-year-old iconic bridge was being knocked down because of a chemical reaction that has caused the concrete in the structure to weaken.

The 3,500-foot structure is set to be replaced by a new roadway, which is expected to be finished in 2018 and opened in 2019.

The new Sixth Street Bridge will offer the same dramatic views of downtown Los Angeles - but it's not going to be cheap. The project will cost $449 million.