The section of the Schuylkill River Trail that runs below the Martin Luther King Drive Bridge will close on Monday so that contractors can work on the bridge. It will remain closed through Dec. 31, the city streets department said.
The impacted stretch runs between Fairmount Water Works and Paine's Park, the skate park near Eakins Oval. The work on MLK Drive Bridge will include blasting, priming and painting, and is just a small part of the $20.1 million rehabilitation project that began in March.
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During the closure, trail detour signs will be posted directing pedestrians and cyclists to use the path behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which reconnects to the Schuylkill River Trail at Kelly Drive.
Though the closed portion of the trail is expected to reopen in January, the MLK Bridge Rehabilitation project will stretch into the 2025 spring. The goal of the project is to replace and expand the bridge deck to better accommodate pedestrians and bikers, and strengthen its structural integrity.
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