Rehabilitation on the MLK Drive Bridge is expected to start in February of 2023. The project will close MLK Drive from the bridge to Sweetbriar and the SRT underpass to all users until the summer of 2025.
Once construction starts and the detours are in place, the bridge will be closed to all users for the duration of construction. Our map shows the City’s official detour (in black) and the detour that the Bicycle Coalition recommends bicyclists take to get to and from MLK Drive to the SRT (in red). We requested delineator posts be added to the northbound (towards Sweetbriar) side of Lansdowne as part of the cyclist detour for MLK Dr Bridge. However, the southbound side of Lansdowne will not have delineator posts, despite our request, because of the Streets Department’s need to maintain vegetation on the western bank of Lansdowne.
In a message from Chris Puchalsky, Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives for the office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Puchalsky said
“We expect the bridge to reopen to all users in the summer 2025. At that time, the Falls Bridge rehabilitation project will start, and that bridge will close to all users for the duration of construction. We are coordinating the schedules for both projects.”