LOS ANGELES — Demolition of a portion of a downtown Los Angeles bridge is ahead of schedule, and officials say they could reopen a portion of the U.S. 101 Freeway early.

A 2.5-mile section of the freeway was closed Friday so crews can bring down 220 feet of the 6th Street Bridge.

Mary Nemick of the city Public Works Department says crews made progress on Saturday and that the freeway could reopen as early as 10 a.m. Sunday.

The 84-year-old bridge, which soars over the concrete-lined Los Angeles River, has appeared in countless Hollywood movies, including “Grease” and “Terminator 2.” Think rival gang members Danny and Leo racing in “Grease” or big chases in “Terminator 2” and “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

Considered state-of-the-art when it was built in 1932, the bridge has been suffering from a chemical reaction that for decades has weakened its concrete.

Eventually, the entire 3,500-foot bridge will be replaced by a new roadway that has the potential to become another Hollywood backdrop. A 2019 opening has been set after $449 million in work.

First Published February 7, 2016, 9:03 a.m.