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The Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge in Philadelphia is expected to open to pedestrians and cyclists this week and to cars on Monday, officials announced.
Mayor Cherelle Parker and the Philadelphia Streets Department are set to reopen the bridge at 2 p.m. Friday with a ribbon cutting and celebration. The bridge, which connects Eakins Oval and Martin Luther King Drive, will open for recreational use over the weekend and will open to cars starting at 7 a.m. Monday.
Built in 1965, the bridge closed to cars in 2021 when a part of the steel framing was found to have deteriorated, and it has been closed to foot traffic since March 2023.
CBS News Philadelphia
The project has forced drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to take detours to get from the Art Museum area to Martin Luther King Drive along the west side of the Schuylkill River.
The $20.1 million construction project was fully funded with federal money, according to the city. The rehabilitation was initially slated for completion by spring 2025.
Structural elements of the bridge were repaired, and the concrete bridge deck was widened. The bridge now has three lanes for vehicles and a 10.5-food “shared use path,” the announcement on social media says.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of MLK Drive closing for recreational use on weekends from spring through fall, according to the streets department.
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