Commuting into downtown Vancouver from the East will be a little more difficult starting on Saturday as lane closures begin along East 1st Avenue to accommodate workers replacing gas lines.

FortisBC is updating natural gas lines in Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam this summer after a routine inspection revealed changes were needed.

"It is important to remember these gas lines have been in place since about the 1950s so it is important to upgrade it,” said Grace Pickell, communications manager with FortisBC.

The lane closures with traffic detours and barricades will be in effect along East 1st Avenue from Nanaimo Street to Rupert Street and between the Highway 1 overpass and Boundary Road starting Saturday at 7 p.m.

FortisBC will also be closing off some side streets so people can't cut through residential neighbourhoods to avoid the construction.

Other upgrades will also happen along the gas line route that runs on Boundary Road in Burnaby, along Gravely Street to Douglas Road and down the Lougheed Highway. In Coquitlam, it runs along Como Lake Avenue from North Road to Spuraway Avenue.

“So far the reaction has been pretty understandable,” Pickell said. “People are frustrated to hear that there’s going to be an inconvenience. But overall, people understand that this is work that has to be done.”

Calvin Luk, a commuter who spoke to CTV News, said he's planning on leaving home 20 or 30 minutes earlier than usual and use Hastings Street or Broadway as alternates.

“Yeah, it does take more time," he said. "And [there's] more congestion that I’m trying to avoid. But what can you do?”

Artem Voropaev, the owner of Pacific Laptop Inc. on East 1st Avenue at Nanaimo Street, said he's concerned the construction could take a toll on his business.

"It worries me right? I know I’m going to lose some customers unfortunately," he said. "Maybe [I'll] spend more money on advertisements to let our customers know we’re going to be open during that time."

Brigitte Schepannek is working as a flagger during construction along East 1st Avenue. She understands frustration from commuters and from neighbours, but wants to remind drivers to slow down as they pass workers.

"I want to go home tonight, like, in one piece," she said. "[And the] verbal abuse, please stop it."

Fortis BC has also planned to close different sections of East 1st Avenue at different times during the summer. There will be a complete closure from Clark Drive to Nanaimo Street starting in July. The entire Vancouver section of the project is slated to be complete by the end of summer or early fall.

With a report from CTV Vancouver's Allison Hurst