110 Freeway to close in both directions as crews demolish bridge. Here's what drivers should know

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Major closures are planned for the 110 Freeway near downtown L.A. this weekend, creating potential traffic headaches for motorists.

Closures in both directions are planned from the 10 Freeway to Exposition Boulevard. It's all to demolish the 21st Street pedestrian bridge that's no longer in use.

110 Freeway closure timing

From 11 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday, the three outer lanes on the southbound 110 Freeway will be closed between the 10 Freeway and Exposition Boulevard. All on-ramps to the southbound freeway will also be closed in the area, as long as the connector ramps from the 10 Freeway. Crew may start closing onramps and connectors as early as 9 p.m. Friday.

Motorists will still be able to access the Express Lanes, which begin just south of the work area, according to Caltrans.

From 11 p.m. Saturday through 8 a.m. Sunday, the entire southbound 110 Freeway will be shut down between the 10 Freeway and Exposition Boulevard, and the entire northbound 110 Freeway will be closed between Adams and Washington boulevards.

Motorists using the northbound Express Lanes will have to exit early. Southbound Express Lanes will be accessible via the 28th Street on-ramp, the 39th Street on-ramp or any other entry on the southbound freeway starting at Florence Avenue.

The southbound off-ramp at Adams Boulevard will be closed throughout the weekend, reopening at roughly 8 p.m. Sunday, according to Caltrans.

110 Freeway closure detours

During the full freeway closure, southbound motorists will be diverted at the 10 Freeway interchange, reentering the freeway at either Exposition or Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards.

Northbound motorists will be forced off the freeway at Adams, reentered at Washington. Northbound motorists can access the 10 Freeway using Hoover Street.

"We encourage everyone coming to downtown L.A. this weekend to use public transit, plan ahead for delays and use alternate routes, or simply just avoid the area," said John Yang with Caltrans.

For more information on the 110 Freeway closure, visit Caltrans' website.

City News Service contributed to this report.