I-76 closure: PennDOT to close portions of Schuylkill for bridge deck repairs 3 consecutive weekends

GRAYS FERRY - A traffic alert for anyone who drives on the Schuylkill Expressway through the Grays Ferry neighborhood in Philly. A scheduled closure for September 21st has been canceled.

For three consecutive weekends beginning September 28th, PennDOT announced a bridge deck repair project. It will close the eastbound section of the highway that is over the Schuylkill River. PennDOT will be able to repair sections of the deteriorated concrete decks on two bridges and resurface them after many temporary repairs over the years.

A scheduled closure for the weekend beginning Saturday, September 21st, was canceled Saturday afternoon, officials announced.

"The time has come for a more comprehensive repair. It’ll get us through this winter and many years beyond," PennDOT Deputy Communications Director, Brad Rudolph, said.

The bridges carry traffic on I-76 east over the river and CSX rail track, as well as I-76 over Grays Ferry Avenue and Wharton and Reed streets.

The next weekend closure will be from 9 p.m. Saturday, September 28th to 4 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 24th. The closure will go from just after the ramp to Grays Ferry Avenue and University Ave. to just before the 34th Street ramp.

Rudolph continued, "We strongly advise that motorists avoid the area and the surface streets in the vicinity of the work area. These back-ups are going to be significant on these alternate routes, especially the local routes that use University Ave. Bridge."

The regional detour will take drivers over I-676 to 95 south or 476 south to I-95 north. Local traffic will get off at the University Ave. exit and use the University Ave. bridge to get to the Schuylkill Expressway. Electronic message boards are already alerting drivers.

"We thank residents and businesses. We know it’s frustrating," Rudolph said. "This is work that needs to get done on these bridge decks."

Charles Stroud lives on Harmony Street near the detour and is dreading the work, "You gotta ask people to let you get out the street."
"Right now?" asked FOX 29’s Dawn Timmeney.

"Yeah now, already," he replied. "If they’re gonna do all that, it’s gonna be something."

"How much of an inconvenience is this gonna be?" Timmeney continued.

"I don’t know, you gotta have a lot of patience."

Boisie Green stated, "I just came from King of Prussia. It took me like an hour and a half to get down here, already, so I can’t imagine how it will be with roadwork getting done."

PennDOT says it worked around sporting events at the stadium complex when picking the weekends and times, but they are subject to change depending on weather conditions and the Phillies post season schedule.