Single-lane closures on the James River Bridge will begin this Saturday and continue through Jan. 11 to facilitate preliminary work ahead of a planned four-day shutdown to replace half of the 80 cables original to the 41-year-old drawbridge that connects Isle of Wight County with Newport News.

The alternating closures will be confined to the bridge’s southbound lanes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 6 and will be expanded to both directions from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Jan. 7-10.

The single-lane closures will resume in both directions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 8-11.

The first of two four-day shutdowns – one for each drawbridge tower – will begin at 1 a.m. on Jan. 12 and continue through 5 a.m. on Jan. 16, during which all four travel lanes will be impassable.

The remaining 40 cables on the second tower are scheduled to be replaced Feb. 2-6, during which all four lanes will again be closed from 1 a.m. on Feb. 2 through 5 a.m. on Feb. 6.

VDOT has listed Jan. 19-23 as backup dates for the first closure, and Feb. 8-12 as backup dates for the second, in the event of inclement weather.

During the four-day shutdowns, a signed detour will direct motorists to the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel as a primary alternate route. Another option is to take the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry in Surry County.