What to Know
- After a series of delays, PennDOT will close two bridges carrying Interstate 76 eastbound through Philadelphia so crews can repair the road surface.
- The closure is weather permitting and being done around big weekend events at the South Philadelphia sports complex.
- Electronic message boards are alerting drivers to the planned closures and offering alternate routes, PennDOT said.
- "We strongly advise that motorists avoid the closure area and surface streets in the vicinity of the work area," PennDOT spokesman Brad Rudolph said at the time of the closure announcement. "These backups are going to be significant on theses alternate routes, especially that local routes that use the University Avenue Bridge," which is under construction.
Your weekend ride on I-76 in Philadelphia could be slowed by construction.
PennDOT last month announced that they would be closing the eastbound side of the Schuylkill Expressway over several weekends to make repairs to the bridge decks carrying I-76 over the Schuylkill River, CSX rail tracks, Grays Ferry Avenue, Wharton Street and Reed Street.
The first weekend closure was due to happen the weekend of Sept. 20, but was put on hold after "the materials made at the contractor's asphalt plant... didn't test as well as we would like it," a PennDOT spokesperson said.
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The last weekend of September finally brought the anticipated closure of the busy Philadelphia highway.
However, the following weekend closure was canceled due to two Phillies playoff games and other events at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
Here's your guide to what PennDOT is saying about the project to "repair sections of deteriorated concrete deck and resurface the structure" and how drivers can get around it when it actually happens.
Transportation and Transit
When will the construction to repair the I-76 bridge over the Schuylkill River and the Grays Ferry neighborhood begin? 🚧
I-76 eastbound will be closed from just after the ramp to Grays Ferry Avenue/University Avenue (Exit 346B) to just before the 34th Street on-ramp from 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, and cleared by 7 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, PennDOT said on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
What is the timing for the rest of the I-76 eastbound closures in the fall of 2024?
The eastbound stretch of closed roadway was originally scheduled to be closed over four weekends. However, first inferior materials delayed the start, then the Phillies playoff games hindered its continuance.
On Tuesday, PennDOT Deputy Communications Director Brad Rudolph said that needing another weekend will depend on how much work crews get done this weekend.
How can drivers get around the I-76 weekend closure?
Drivers just passing through Philadelphia will be taking a longer route around the closure.
"The regional detour route will utilize I-676 East (Vine Street Expressway) to I-95 South; or I-476 South to I-95 North," PennDOT said.
PennDOT has another plan for drivers looking to access West Philadelphia, South Philadelphia and other city areas.
"Local traffic will be directed to exit at Grays Ferry Avenue/University Avenue (Exit 346B) and use the University Avenue Bridge/34th Street to access the ramp to I-76 East (Schuylkill Expressway)," PennDOT said.
Ramps to and from I-76 eastbound will remain open.
PennDOT has been alerting drivers to the closure by posting to electronic message boards on other roads and I-76. Those messages include "specific alternate routes," the department of transportation said.
"We strongly advise that motorists avoid the closure area and surface streets in the vicinity of the work area," Rudolph said. "These backups are going to be significant on theses alternate routes, especially that local routes that use the University Avenue Bridge," which is under construction.
PennDOT didn't mention it, but drivers could also bail off I-76 at earlier exits like South Street, 30th Street or Spring Garden Street and take local streets from there. But, they would be in the hands of their own navigation or their map app. You should also be ready to sit in some extra traffic.
What structures carrying cars on I-76 in Philadelphia need repair work?
The areas being repaired by PennDOT actually consist of two bridges.
The first is a steel-girder bridge that carries I-76 over the Schuylkill river and rail tracks spans 1,644 feet, Rudolph said. The second bridge over roads in the Grays Ferry area spans 1,630 feet.
Both I-76 bridges were built in 1956 and rehabbed in 2012. Rudolph said.
The spans of I-76 carry around 68,000 cars over it daily -- with 38,000 of the drivers going eastbound, Rudolph said.
Why close I-76 during these specific weekends? It has everything to do with pro sports games
Basically, PennDOT tried to find closure times that don't cause major issues for large city events or home games for Philadelphia sports teams.
"This weekend closure is being coordinated with the City of Philadelphia, the Sports Complex, SEPTA, and other stakeholders and transportation agencies across the region," PennDOT said.
The Philadelphia Eagles play at home on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. (Hence, the morning reopening of I-76 earlier that morning.)
Why do the I-76 bridges need to be closed?
Both structures are listed in fair condition, but need some repairs to the bridge deck and the surface, Rudolph said.
"PennDOT has been performing temporary repairs for sometime to keep these bridge decks from further deterioration," Rudolph said. "The time has come for a more comprehensive repair. It'll get us through this winter and many years beyond."
In its original news release announcing the closure, PennDOT laid out what crews will do to fix the I-76 bridge:
"PennDOT’s contractor will perform milling operations to remove all existing latex modified concrete from the bridge decks. Crews will then perform sounding operations to locate and repair deteriorated sections of concrete with a rapid set epoxy based concrete patching material. Once repairs are completed, a highly bonding tack coat will be applied to the roadway prior to paving."
H&K Group will be tasked with making the repairs, Rudolph said. They will be using the same materials that were recently used to make repairs on I-95 near the South Philadelphia stadium complex.
"Final paving will consist of a dense graded bituminous material that will reduce surface cracking, rutting, and reduce infiltration of water and road salts, providing a water proofing sealer for the bridge decks," PennDOT said.
The new materials are expected to last 10 to 15 years, PennDOT officials previously said.
What about the westbound lanes of the I-76 bridges?
The repairs for drivers headed toward Center City will wait until next year, Rudolph said. They will then be done in a similar fashion and timetable.
PennDOT says the I-76 bridge closures make it safer for everyone
"The closures are safer for the workers out there -- limiting their exposure to traffic," Rudolph said.
It also makes it easier for drivers who won't have to deal with long-term lane closures and traffic pattern changes.
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