Market Street Bridge closed to cars for a year as part of a nearly $150 million upgrade

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The Market Street Bridge will be closed for more than a year as part of a $148.9 million rehabilitation project to the structure and surrounding area.

Starting Monday, cars and bikes will be detoured through October 2027 for the bridge that carries Market Street over Amtrak and Interstate 76, the Schuylkill River and Trail, and CSX Railroad in Center City Philadelphia. One sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians to walk across during construction.

Six SEPTA bus routes will be detoured for the closure, including 31, 44, 49, 124, 125 and L1 Owl.

Parking restrictions will be in place through December 2028 for Chestnut Street between 23rd Street and 22nd Street, 23rd Street between Market Street and Walnut Street, and Walnut Street between 23rd Street and 33rd Street.

The superstructure on the bridge over Amtrak and I-76 at the intersection of Schuylkill Avenue West and Market Street will be partially demolished and replaced. In addition, the deteriorated deck and sidewalks of Market Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River will also be replaced.

The existing four-span bridge over the Schuylkill River Trail and CSX Railroad on the east side of the river will be replaced with a single-span bridge and retaining walls.

Once complete, Market Street from Schuylkill Avenue West to 23rd Street will have two travel lanes in each direction, along with turn lanes and wider sidewalks.

In addition, a two-way bicycle lane with concrete barriers will be installed and connected to existing bike facilities at 23rd Street. Bike signals will also be installed at Market Street and Schuylkill Avenue West. Traffic signals will also be upgraded, along with new highway, bridge and navigation lighting systems.

The west and east river walls supporting the Schuylkill River banks from Market Street to south of Walnut Street will be repaired. The pedestrian staircase between the Schuylkill River Trail and JFK Boulevard will also be repaired to address settlement.

Construction began last April and is expected to be fully completed by April 2029. Buckley & Company Inc. of Philadelphia is the project’s general contractor, and construction is financed with 80% federal and 20% state funds.