Driving through downtown South Bend will get much more difficult, beginning today.

The Lasalle Avenue Streetscape Project is getting underway, resulting in detours and lane closures on certain streets in the downtown area.

The project is designed to slow traffic speed in certain areas and to create safer bike and pedestrian facilities.

Construction will be completed in three phases.

Phase 1 (June 12 through mid-August, weather permitting)

Construction will begin on the south side of LaSalle Avenue from Hill Street to the river. Motorists will only be allowed to travel westbound on LaSalle Avenue from St. Louis to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards. The Hill and Niles intersections will be open for westbound traffic to turn north.

Phase 2 (Mid-August through early October, weather permitting)

Work will move to the north side of LaSalle Avenue from Hill Street to the river. Motorists will only be allowed to travel westbound on LaSalle Avenue from St. Louis Boulevard to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The Hill and Niles intersections will only be open for westbound traffic to turn south.

Phase 3 (Early September through early October, weather permitting)

Work includes the repaving of LaSalle Avenue from the river to Eddy Street, installation of a protected bike lane from Hill to Eddy Streets.