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Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes — not that we’re counting.
Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Michael Nutter and officials from state and local agencies shared some details about security and transportation during the pope’s visit the last weekend in September.
Many of the details confirmed previous reports, including ours. The basics remain the same: Driving in Philadelphia is going to be difficult during the weekend of the papal visit, and people should get ready to walk. Here’s a rundown of all the closures, special zones and other specifics discussed by Nutter.
The traffic box
This map looked a lot like the security map Billy Penn revealed last week, so it wasn’t a surprise. The traffic box’s boundaries are 38th Street to the west, South Street to the south, the Delaware River to the east and Girard to Ridge to Spring Garden to the north.
Private vehicles cannot enter the traffic box once it is secured, but they can exit at all times. The traffic box starts at 6 p.m. the Friday of the pope’s visit for most of the area but at 8 a.m. for the southwest corner and 10 p.m. for the western side. Nutter said they didn’t know when the traffic box’s limitations would end.
People will also be allowed to drive their vehicles within the box. Nutter gave this as an example: If you’re driving from 21st and Spruce to 10th and Locust, you’re fine. But if go from 21st and Spruce to 10th and Fitzwater, you’re not fine because you’re crossing the South Street boundary. In that case, you would be able to exit the traffic box, but you couldn’t re-enter, i.e. go back north of South Street.
But, Nutter added, “we’re trying to limit as much vehicular traffic as possible.”
He said the city is still deciding about what to do with cabs going into the traffic box.
Bikes/walking
Bikes and pedestrians are allowed to enter and exit the traffic box freely, as well as travel within it. No details were given about possible security measures within the near proximity of the pope events, though.
Road closures
PennDOT announced the following closures:
- I-76 east from I-476 to I-95
- 72 west from I-95 to US-1
- All of 676 both directions
- Route 1 both directions from Belmont to Lancaster avenues
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge will also be closed to vehicular traffic from Friday night at 10 to Monday at noon. PennDOT and Nutter did not confirm a time when those roads would reopen.
I-95 will remain open throughout the weekend.
