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A section of westbound I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) in West Philly will be shut down at night for four days next week as PennDOT continues a project to rehabilitate the Market Street bridge over the Schuylkill River.
In addition, in late August the bridge will be closed to cars and remain closed through October 2027. Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to use the bridge, but will be encouraged to use Chestnut, Walnut and other routes instead.
The closure of westbound I-76 between 30th Street and the I-676 interchanges will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., from Monday, July 20, through Thursday, July 23, PennDOT said.
Drivers will be directed to exit at 30th and drive on Schuylkill Avenue to access ramps back onto I-76 West and onto I-676 East.
PennDOT will also close the center lane on one block of Market Street, between 30th Street and Schuylkill Avenue, from next Monday through Aug. 20 for utility construction. Two lanes will remain open in both directions.
The work is part of a multi-year, $149 million project to replace sections of the 94-year-old Market Street bridge, which spans Amtrak tracks and I-76 west of the river and the Schuylkill River Trail and CSX Railroad tracks on the east side. The central bridge section over the river will be extensively overhauled and redecked.
“When we’re actually lifting sections off of the bridge and putting new sections in for the new bridge, we can’t have traffic underneath on the expressway. That’s when we use the detours,” Paul Schultes, a design construction consultant for PennDOT, said in March 2025, when the work began.
The agency plans to complete the project in April 2029.
PennDOT is advising drivers to allow extra time when traveling along the detour route or through work areas, because backups and delays are expected.
To learn more about the project or sign up for email alerts, visit MarketStreetBridges.com. Drivers can also check conditions on major roads at 511PA.com.
