PHILADELPHIA, PA — Drivers who rely on the westbound Schuylkill Expressway are getting a temporary reprieve after PennDOT cancelled planned overnight closures tied to bridge construction at 30th Street, citing weather conditions.
PennDOT said the overnight shutdowns of I-76 West have been cancelled through Sunday, February 8. The closures are part of a sweeping $148.9 million project to rehabilitate multiple bridges carrying Market Street over Amtrak, I-76, the Schuylkill River Trail, and CSX Railroad in Center City.
If weather cooperates, the overnight restrictions are tentatively scheduled to resume Sunday, February 8, and continue for several months.
Under the current plan, from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Sundays through Thursdays, westbound I-76 will be reduced to a single lane between the 30th Street and Interstate 676 interchanges. From 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, the expressway will be fully closed and detoured between those same interchanges. Motorists will be directed to exit at 30th Street and travel west on Schuylkill Avenue to reach ramps for I-76 West and I-676 East.
PennDOT warned that once work resumes, significant backups and delays should be expected during overnight hours. All scheduled activities remain weather dependent.
The bridge improvement project includes partial demolition and replacement of the superstructure on the Market Street bridge over Amtrak and I-76, replacement of deteriorated decks and sidewalks on adjacent bridges, and construction of a new single-span bridge over the Schuylkill River Trail and CSX Railroad. Crews will also reconfigure Market Street between Schuylkill Avenue West and 23rd Street to better accommodate vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Planned upgrades include new traffic lanes, wider sidewalks, a protected two-way bicycle lane with concrete separators, bicycle signals, and improved lighting. Additional work will repair river walls along the Schuylkill, address settlement issues on pedestrian stairways, preserve the Walnut Street Bridge, and add a parking-separated bicycle lane on Walnut Street between 33rd and 22nd streets.
With months of overnight closures still expected once work resumes, drivers are urged to plan ahead and monitor changing traffic conditions. For real-time lane closures, detour information, and traffic alerts across the region, readers are strongly encouraged to visit the MyChesCo Traffic Center before traveling.
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