Everything you need to know about the I-76 detours in Center City

PennDOT will close off several lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) and a busy on-ramp in Center City on May 20.

The Walnut Street ramp onto I-76 will be closed for 25 days. (Google Maps)

The Walnut Street ramp onto I-76 will be closed for 25 days. (Google Maps)

This article originally appeared on PlanPhilly.

PennDOT will close off several lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) and a busy on-ramp in Center City on Monday evening. Work will continue through June 14, PennDOT spokesman Brad Rudolph said.

The closures will allow PennDOT to rebuild two key spans of the popular commuter route

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— the viaduct between 30th Street and University Avenue interchanges and the viaduct carrying Schuylkill Avenue over the expressway between Walnut Street and Market Street. In addition, the entrance to the expressway at 30th and Walnut streets will get structural repairs and repaving.

“That’s going to shut down for 25 days for rehabilitation of that ramp structure, including a complete new riding surface,” PennDOT spokesman Brad Rudolph said.

Rudolph said following the detour won’t be easy.

“We’re asking people to continue on Walnut Street take it to 38th street, it turns into University Avenue, and then take the 34th Street bridge and hop onto 76 east from there.”

PennDOT advises using an alternate route to allow extra time when traveling through work areas due to back-ups and delays.

The Schuylkill Avenue viaduct fixes are part of PennDOT’s $103 million rehab of the Chestnut Street bridge.  The bridge will close completely next month. More information is available at www.chestnutstreetbridges.com.

Scheduled I-76 detours

  • Monday, May 20 through Thursday, May 23, from 9 p.m. to 1 p.m., westbound I-76 will be reduced to a single lane, then closed completely periodically each night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. between the South Street and Interstate 676 interchanges. During the closure, motorists will be directed to use the ramp from westbound I-76 to 30th Street, then follow Schuylkill Avenue to the ramp to westbound I-76 at Market Street.
  • Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the ramp from westbound I-76 to 30th Street may close periodically. When the ramp is closed, motorists will be detoured west on I-76, east on I-676 to the 22nd Street exit, north on 22nd Street to the ramp to I-676 west, then east on I-76 to the 30th Street exit.
  • Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., eastbound I-76 will be reduced to a single lane between the 30th Street and University Avenue interchanges.
  • Monday, May 20, through Friday, May 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the approach to the ramp from westbound I-76 to 30th Street will be shortened.

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