CORONA, Calif. (CNS) — All westbound lanes on the Riverside (91) Freeway are slated to be shut down along a two-mile segment of the corridor in east Corona Friday evening and through the weekend to facilitate work that was previously scheduled last week but canceled due to Santa Ana winds.

According to the Riverside County Transportation Commission, operations are now set to get underway at 9 p.m. and continue until 5 a.m. Monday, requiring a full closure of the westbound 91 from North McKinley Street to Main Street.

“Crews will be placing support structures over the westbound 91 for the ... 15/91 Express Lanes Connector Project,” according to an RCTC statement. “The closures will improve safety by separating construction work from passenger vehicles, shorten the overall construction schedule ... and save construction costs.”

The agency said the McKinley Street on-ramp to the westbound 91 will also be closed.

Alternate ways of accessing the westbound 91 from Riverside going into Corona include exiting the freeway at McKinley and transitioning to Hidden Valley Parkway northbound, which goes to Interstate 15. From there, motorists can steer south on I-15 and re-enter the westbound 91 via the transition bridge at the 15/91 interchange, officials said.

Drivers can also exit at McKinley and use Magnolia Avenue, which fronts the 91, taking it all the way into downtown Corona, where they can rejoin the freeway.

The westbound shutdown had been set for Jan. 21-24, but officials rescinded the plan due to a Santa Ana windstorm that created roadway hazards last Saturday.

The $270 million 15/91 Express Lanes Connector Project got underway last April and entails constructing a “seamless transition” between toll lanes on the 91 and toll lanes on I-15, according to RCTC.

Additional closures will be required through the year, according to officials.

The project is slated for completion in mid 2023.