The eastbound direction of the Gerald Desmond Bridge will close for a full weekend — Friday night to Monday morning — to make way for construction of the replacement span in the Port of Long Beach.

On the following weekend, June 23-26, the bridge will be closed in the westbound direction.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area entirely during the closures. Detours will be in place, but motorists who do not need to access certain piers in the Port of Long Beach should use alternate routes.

This weekend’s closure gets underway at 9 p.m. Friday and is scheduled to conclude by 5 a.m. Monday. Motorists going eastbound from San Pedro, the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the rest of the South Bay area toward downtown Long Beach are advised to avoid the bridge, and take alternate routes.

Detours are detailed at www.newgdbridge.com. Get up-to-the-minute information via the “LB Bridge” app available for Apple, Android and Windows mobile devices.