PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — From the outside, it looks like it's finished, but PATCO riders eager to use the rebuilt Franklin Square Station will have to wait a bit longer. The glass headhouse at Seventh and Race streets is complete, but the work inside remains.
After being dormant since 1979, Franklin Square Station is still months away from reopening, according to Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) Chief Engineer Mike Venuto.
"Unfortunately it's taken a bit longer to finish the station," Venuto said.
The $30 million project was initially slated to wrap up last spring, but unforeseen structural issues have caused delays.
"We found some unforeseen structural issues," Venuto said. "We discovered work under there that wasn't included in the as-built drawings, so we had to correct those things as we went along."
Crews encountered obstacles early in the project, including the need to relocate a water line and making a surprise discovery.
"When we started excavating in the street for that, we found some old trolley tracks that we didn't know were there, so the project did experience some delays,” he said.
Other setbacks included supply chain issues and delays in finalizing agreements. Inside the station, crews are now focused on integrating fire alarms, smoke detectors, and other safety systems with existing communications infrastructure.
"The last things we're working on right now are the elevator and escalators," Venuto said. "We're getting close to finalizing those and getting all of our final inspections."
PATCO has not committed to a specific reopening date but Venuto said once those final issues are resolved, look for a grand opening in the coming months.