Demolition of Sixth Street Bridge begins in downtown LA

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The demolition of the historic Sixth Street Bridge has begun, causing a major disruption for drivers on the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.

Huge chunks of the bridge quickly dropped to the ground in the morning hours as demolition crews broke apart parts of the concrete with jackhammers and knocked it down to the freeway below.

More than 2 miles of the freeway stretch under the bridge officially shut down Friday night at about 10 p.m. and will be closed through Sunday until 10 a.m.

Officials warned the public to pay attention and follow the detours during the temporary closure, which is being called the "101 Slow Jam."

The bridge, which was built in 1932, needs to be knocked down because of a chemical reaction that caused the concrete in the structure to weaken.

The 3,500-foot bridge is set to be replaced by a new roadway in 2019.

Friday night, AIR7 HD caught a Hollywood film crew using the iconic bridge, featured in numerous major motion pictures, one last time while it was fully intact.