PennDOT to Replace Seven Bridges on I-676

A $65 million project to replace seven structurally-deficient bridges over I- 676 in Philadelphia is expected to begin in early 2015, PennDOT announced Friday.

The project, which will be financed with federal funds, will replace the 22nd Street, 21st Street, Benjamin Franklin Parkway/20th Street, 19th Street, 18th Street and the Free Library and Family Court pedestrian bridges over I-676 with single-span bridges, according to PennDOT.

The seven bridges above I-676 date back to the late 1950s. Construction is scheduled to start in February 2015 and finish in fall 2019, PennDOT estimates.

An apparent low bid from Buckley & Company, Inc. of Philadelphia has been submitted and now must now undergo evaluation to ensure that it conforms to all federal and state specifications before a contract is awarded, PennDOT said.

“We look forward to starting construction in early 2015 to build new structures over I-676 from 22nd to 18th streets to provide motorists and pedestrians with decades of safe, uninterrupted travel,” PennDOT District Executive Lester C. Toaso said in a statement. “This infrastructure improvement project also includes enhancements above I-676 to make the surrounding area more pedestrian friendly and aesthetically pleasing.”

Improvements will be done in two stages over the course of four and a half years.

Stage one will focus on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway/20th Street, 19th Street and the two pedestrian structures over I-676. Stage two includes the 22nd Street, 21st Street and 18th street bridges, PennDOT said. During construction, the 19th Street, 18th Street, Free Library and Family Court bridges will be closed and detoured. The remaining structures will be rebuilt under traffic.