A new construction project means change is coming for the hundreds of thousands of Staten Island drivers who use the Verrazano Bridge. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.

Ask Staten Islanders about the Verrazano Bridge, and one word comes up: traffic.

"No matter when you go," said one Staten Islander. "You can go 3 o'clock in the morning and there's traffic."  

    Staten Islander: I hit the bridge about between 8:30 and 9 o'clock in the morning coming into Staten Island. No problem. No problem.

    Farinacci: What do you notice on the other side?

    Staten Islander: Ha ha ha. It's a different story.

A different story that's about to get worse. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is starting a massive project to replace the entire upper deck roadway.

On Saturday, one lane on the upper level to Brooklyn will close for two years. Drivers who want to get onto the Belt Parkway from the upper level during the morning commute will only be able do so from the left lane. A movable barrier will prevent drivers from being able to cut over at the last minute.

The new pattern is supposed to make the road safer during construction, but it will pose a challenge to drivers who want to head onto the Belt. If they don't enter the left lane when they drive onto the bridge, they will miss their exit, forcing them to take a more roundabout route - the 92nd Street exit - to travel onto the Belt Parkway. If they're in the left lane, they won't be able to get onto the Gowanus.  

"I won't be crossing that bridge that much. That's it," said one Staten Islander. "It's bad enough as it is now. Nobody wants to go over there." 

The movable barrier will have a benefit. It will create three upper-level lanes to Brooklyn during the morning rush and three upper-level lanes to Staten Island in the evening. 

Commuters also should expect other traffic changes, depending on when they use the bridge.

The MTA says it expects it will take several weeks for drivers to adjust to the new traffic pattern. In the meantime, it's urging drivers to be patient, use caution, and pay attention to signage when crossing the span.