Mount Vernon city leaders urged Thursday for motorists to plan ahead of the closures scheduled for Fulton Avenue and the East Street overpasses.

In terms of safety, the police and fire departments said they've been working to find alternate routes, and this should cause minimal impact in terms of responding to emergencies.

As far as how much the closures will cost and when they will be done, the city is still applying for funds, so as of Thursday night there were not real estimates yet.

The city said this will be the first time in 17 years that an administration makes a full repair in response to the state's warnings rather than just a temporary fix.

Leaders do expect it may cause some traffic congestion at first. They recommend commuting motorists to leave earlier, plan new routes and checking the city's website and social media for updates.

The closures happen starts Friday at noon.