Motorists planning to use the Riverside (91) Freeway this weekend through Corona were urged to consider alternate routes to avoid construction-related closures.

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Starting at 10 p.m. Friday, Caltrans will shut down the entire westbound side of the 91 -- and part of the eastbound side -- to accommodate expansion work on the Green River Road bridge, said Caltrans spokeswoman Shelli Lombardo.

The closure was originally scheduled for last month but canceled due to rain.

"They're going to be taking down the scaffolding and falsework at the bridge this weekend, and the closure is for the motoring public's safety," Lombardo said.

She said the westbound 91 closure, which is scheduled to end 9 a.m. Saturday, will span roughly two miles, from Serfas Club Drive to Green River Road.

The California Highway Patrol will detour motorists onto a single "contingency lane" that parallels the freeway to a point clear of the construction zone, but the "queue will be four to five hours, and emergency vehicles take priority," Lombardo said.

Half of the eastbound 91 will be closed at the same time, leaving two lanes open between Gypsum Canyon Road in Orange County and Green River, with all lanes opening after motorists clear the Green River overcrossing, Lombardo said.

To avoid delays, Caltrans recommended westbound commuters use the Pomona (60) Freeway or Interstate 10 through San Bernardino County Friday night and early Saturday morning.

According to Lombardo, about 7,000 motorists an hour use the westbound 91 through Corona after 10 p.m., with vehicular traffic decreasing steadily until daybreak.

A full closure on the eastbound 91 is scheduled between 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday, Lombardo said. Caltrans anticipated no closures for the westbound side during that time.

Eastbound motorists will start seeing freeway lane closures Saturday night as far back as Weir Canyon Road in Anaheim, according to Lombardo.

Caltrans recommended that motorists use the northbound Orange (57) Freeway to connect with either the eastbound 60 or I-10 for travel into the Inland Empire Saturday night.

A partial closure on the westbound 91 is scheduled Wednesday night to facilitate additional work at Green River, Caltrans said.

The bridge, Corona's oldest, is being widened from four lanes to six. The $21 million upgrade will include reconfigured ramps and greater clearance for commercial vehicles, according to Caltrans.

Work is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.