A major metro interstate is being shut down starting Friday evening.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is closing Interstate 49, both northbound and southbound lanes, beginning at 9:00 p.m.

Workers are taking down the Main Street bridge in Grandview. The work will involve heavy equipment which will require traffic to be diverted.

"They'll saw cut the old steel girders down and we'll use a machine to pick that from the air and put it onto the ground," said resident MoDOT engineer James Pflum. "Trucks will be in and out, carrying debris around and off the project, and then carrying steel girders out.

Traffic will be directed up and over the ramps at Main street during the demolition, which should be complete by 5:00 a.m. Monday.

Drivers are urged to plan ahead and use alternate routes to avoid the expected delays on I-49.