The long-awaited replacement of the deteriorating Fort Avenue Bridge will begin Monday, when the Baltimore Department of Transportation will close the 91-year-old structure to vehicle traffic for most of the next year.

The $6 million reconstruction project on the main route to Fort McHenry is expected to be finished next spring -- in time for the the activities planned for the bicentennial of the War of 1812. The project is being jointly funded by the city and CSX, which owns the railroad tracks the bridge crosses.

The transportation department said it has deployed variable message and detour signs in the neighborhood to inform motorists about the closing. While the bridge is closed to vehicles, traffic to Fort McHenry and other destinations at the end of the peninsula will be detoured onto Key Highway and Hull Street. During construction, pedestrians will still be able to use a walkway on one side of the bridge.

City officials said they have made contingency plans to maintain emergency services while the bridge is close to vehicles. According to the transportation department, an emergency alert system will notify residents by email, voice mail or text messages when a train is expected to block access routes for more than 10 minutes.

The city will provide updates for the community at www.fortavenuebridge.com.