A project to replace a submarine cable that provides electricity for the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge has closed the main channel under the bridge for boat traffic through Saturday night.

However, the project is not affecting vehicular traffic on the span, said Jennifer Gwaltney, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Lt. Karen Lee, a spokesman for the Waterways Management Division for the U.S. Coast Guard in Norfolk, said Wednesday that the main channel was closed at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will remain closed until 11:59 p.m. Saturday. She said an emergency plan is in place in case a ship absolutely has to pass through the channel during that time.

Gwaltney said the project is necessary to replace a submarine cable that was damaged by a tugboat in late 2008. The work is finally being conducted, she said, as the matter has been settled with the insurance company for the tugboat.

Lee said that two cables will replace the damaged cable. The span has had electrical power during that period, she said, since there are several electrical sources that serve it.

According to Lee, Coast Guard boats are patrolling the York River to keep vessels from using the main channel. But boats can still go under the bridge in other areas not in the main channel, she said, which would be closer toward the Yorktown and Gloucester Point sides of the bridge.

Although the main channel will remain closed to boats until Saturday night, Gwaltney said, the submarine cable laying project is not expected to be completed until the latter part of next week.

Gwaltney said surveying for the cable laying project was conducted last January.

The contractor for the project is W.F. McVann, Lee said. Neither VDOT nor the Coast Guard could provide information about how much the cable project repair will cost.

Lee and Gwaltney said mariners were given advance notice of the channel being closed. VDOT did not issue a press release on the closure, Gwaltney said, since the span will remain open to vehicular traffic during the cable project and no bridge openings are planned then.

The bridge carries Route 17 over the York River between Gloucester Point and Yorktown. The bridge is maintained by VDOT’s Hampton Roads District, although Gloucester is part of VDOT’s Fredericksburg District.