Philadelphia begins construction on MLK Drive Bridge project

© City of Philadelphia

Philadelphia recently began construction on the Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Drive Bridge project, possible because of a $20.1 million investment from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The project involves demolishing and removing the existing concrete bridge deck and barriers and the construction of a composite concrete bridge deck. It also includes rehabilitation work on the bridge superstructure and substructure, barriers and railing, painting, roadway approach work, street lighting, curb ramps, and other miscellaneous construction.

A 2021 inspection of the underside of the MLK Drive Bridge discovered that one of the steel framing’s connections was approximately 75 percent deteriorated. The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic.

“This bridge is a critical gateway from Center City into West Fairmount Park, with sweeping views of the Art Museum and Boat House Row,” Mayor Jim Kenney said at a ceremony to celebrate the start of construction. “Delaying this critical rehabilitation project because of lack of funding would have been an enormous burden on the communities along both sides of the river and cause unnecessary economic impacts.”

MLK Drive will be closed to traffic every weekend until the Spring of 2025 from 7 a.m. on Saturdays through 7 a.m. on Mondays.