Roads Reopen Around Philadelphia Region After Papal Visit

Around the region, roads that closed due to the Papal visit were reopening on Monday morning.

Things began when the Schuylkill Expressway opened on Sunday night at about 11:15 a.m. in Montgomery County and Philadelphia.

The Ben Franklin Bridge reopened to traffic at about 2 a.m. early Monday morning. It had been scheduled to reopen at 4 a.m.

Certain ramps in Philadelphia onto I-76 were closed into the early hours of Monday morning, but were reopened by 5:30 a.m.

Within the city, most of the “traffic box” that had been closed to traffic has now been reopened, according to Mayor Michael Nutter’s office.

In the suburbs, including Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, and Delaware Counties, all roads are open.

SEPTA and PATCO rail lines are now operating on a normal schedule.

The road closures were one of the most distinctive aspects of the weekend, as haunting images of iconic roads left empty circulated throughout social media. 

Photo credit Adin Mickle.