A four-year project to improve the Market Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River is expected to begin this week, according to PennDOT. The project will be carried out in phases and will include a complete 14-month closure of the bridge to vehicular traffic.

The initial phase of the project includes construction activities by the general contractor on this project, Buckley & Company Inc., that will focus on extensive utility work to replace numerous electric, gas, water, fiber optic and other lines within the project area.

Further work will include structural work on the bridge. As part of this work, the superstructure on the existing Market Street bridge over Amtrak and I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) will be partially demolished and replaced. The deteriorated deck and sidewalks of the 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.

Market Street in the work area will be closed to vehicular traffic for approximately 14 months from August 2026 to October 2027. Motorists should expect partial detours and several weekend street closures on the west side of the river during this period. I-76 also will be closed in both directions from Arch Street to Walnut Street during these weekends.

During other Market Street Bridge reconstruction phases, two lanes of traffic in each direction will be maintained daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.. Bicyclists will be directed to use Chestnut and Walnut streets.

Market Street will also be repaved from Schuylkill Avenue West to 23rd Street and a two-way bicycle lane with concrete separators will be installed. The project also includes some improvements to the Walnut Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River. This work includes resurfacing the roadway between 33rd and 22nd streets and installation of a parking-separated bicycle lane on Walnut Street from 33rd Street to 22nd Street.

The $148.9 million Market Street Bridge Rehabilitation project is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.