There's about to be a lot of yelling about Yale Street, as the historic span makes way for a modern replacement.

Crews will close the bridge carrying the road over White Oak bayou on April 18 to prepare for demolition. For the next 20 months, drivers in the area will have to do without the segment of Yale.

Signs warning motorists were installed recently by the Texas Department of Transportation, finalizing that construction is imminent. Detours are planned, but many drivers are expecting to avoid the area entirely.

"When I saw (the sign) I told my wife we'd need to start having dinner around 8," said Lou Thompson, 55, who commutes from downtown to his Heights home via Yale.

The bridge, built in 1931, is one of seven bridges in Houston listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Though the designation doesn't save the bridge, it does require a more meticulous process to replace it.

The bridge has been a source of discussion for years, as commercial development south of it has increased. TxDOT nearly closed the bridge in 2012, when trucks weighing more than 3,000 pounds per axle were restricted from using it because of structural concerns.

The weight-rating change worried neighbors and the bridge was improved so it could handle trucks weighing up to 10,000 pounds per axle. That still kept many trucks, including delivery trucks to the stores and restaurants along Yale and Heights, from using it. Police enforced the weight limits to limited results after they were put into effect.

Replacing the bridge is expected to cost $2.8 million, TxDOT said.