WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Officials say the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge over the Northeast Cape Fear River will be closed nightly for much of next week and part of the following week.

• Closures begin Sunday evening.
• The bridge will not be closed on Friday and Saturday nights.
• No closures on night of July 3 and 4.

The N.C. Department of Transportation says the closure is necessary so a contractor can safely repair the bridge's mechanical components. 

Nightly closures begin on Sunday and will be in effect from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.

The bridge, however, will not be closed on Friday and Saturday nights.

Officials also said the bridge will not close on the nights of July 3 and 4 to accommodate holiday traffic.

Work on the bridge will continue through the summer and require intermittent nightly lane closures in each direction beginning July 6 and continuing until Aug. 31.