Chestnut Street Bridge to close Monday for year-long makeover

This article originally appeared on PlanPhilly.

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Say your goodbyes to the Chestnut Street bridge.

The 62-year-old eastbound connection between West Philadelphia and Center City is scheduled to close Monday evening for a year of construction.

The bridge will close sometime after 8 p.m.

When the bridge reopens in 2020, it will boast rehabbed superstructure, wider sidewalks and a new trellis at the trailhead to the Schuylkill River Trail. The reinvented bridge will also boast  — bicyclists rejoice — a dedicated bike lane running along the north side of Chestnut between 34th and 22nd streets.

During the year-long closure, motorists and cyclists heading east from West Philadelphia will be detoured north on either 38th Street, 36th Street or 33rd Street to east on Market Street, then across the river to 23rd Street.

Chestnut Street motorists in the vicinity of 30th Street also may turn left on Schuylkill Avenue to access either eastbound Market Street or John F. Kennedy Boulevard across the river to Center City.

An alternate detour for cyclists will be to take 38th Street or 34th Street south, turn left on Spruce Street, then east on South Street across the river to 22nd Street.

Pedestrians will be detoured to either the Market Street or Walnut Street bridges over the river.

General contractor Buckley and Company Inc., a local business, will head the project.

Folks have been crossing over the Schuylkill via the Chestnut Street bridge since 1912. It was initially an iron arch bridge and was replaced with the current version in 1957.

PennDOT estimates about 18,664 vehicles cross the bridge daily.