PennDOT recently announced that overhead bridge construction will restrict and close I-76 West (Schuylkill Expressway) at 30th Street for several months beginning Sunday, December 7, under the $148.9 million project to rehabilitate the bridges that carry Market Street over Amtrak and I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway), the Schuylkill River Trail, and CSX Railroad in Center City Philadelphia.
Motorists are advised of the following travel restrictions:
- Sunday, December 7, through Monday, June 1, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, I-76 West (Schuylkill Expressway) will be reduced to one lane between the 30th Street and I-676 interchanges.
- Sunday, December 7, through Monday, June 1, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning, Sundays through Thursdays, I-76 West (Schuylkill Expressway) will be closed between the 30th Street and I-676 interchanges. Motorists will be directed to exit at 30th Street and travel west on Schuylkill Avenue to access the ramps to I-76 West (Schuylkill Expressway) and I-676 East.
Due to the upcoming winter holidays, no overnight closures will occur from Sunday, December 21, through Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling near the work area because significant backups and delays will occur. All scheduled activities are weather dependent.
Under this bridge improvement project, the superstructure on the existing Market Street bridge over Amtrak and I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway), at the intersection of Schuylkill Avenue West and Market Street, will be partially demolished and replaced. The deteriorated deck and sidewalks of the immediately adjacent Market Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River will also be replaced, and the existing four-span Market Street bridge over the Schuylkill River Trail and CSX Railroad on the east side of the river will be replaced with a single-span bridge and retaining walls.
Along with structural work on the bridges, Market Street’s pavement will be reconfigured from Schuylkill Avenue West to 23rd Street to enhance the existing transportation network and accommodate vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. The new pavement will include two, 10-foot-wide travel lanes in both directions with turning lanes and wide sidewalks. A two-way bicycle lane with concrete separators will be installed and connected to the existing bicycle facilities at 23rd Street. A bicycle signal will be installed at Market Street and Schuylkill Avenue West.
Modifications and upgrades will also be made to the traffic signals in the project area, including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) improvements and replacement of new highway lighting, bridge enhancement lighting, and navigation lighting systems.
The project will repair the west and east river walls supporting the Schuylkill River banks from Market Street to south of Walnut Street and repair the pedestrian staircase between the Schuylkill River Trail and JFK Boulevard to address settlement.
The contract also includes preservation improvements to the Walnut Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River and resurfacing the roadway between 33rd and 22nd streets. A parking-separated bicycle lane will be installed on Walnut Street from 33rd Street to 22nd Street, along with modifications to traffic signals