PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The westbound Schuylkill Expressway through Grays Ferry is scheduled to close between 9 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday for bridge redecking.
It's the first of three weekend westbound closures this spring to repair the aging bridge deck on the span carrying I-76 over Grays Ferry Avenue and the Schuylkill River. Eastbound traffic is not expected to be affected.
Westbound traffic on I-76 is being forced off the highway at the University Avenue off-ramp. The 2.5-mile detour directs drivers to turn right onto Grays Ferry Avenue, right onto Washington Avenue, left onto 22nd Street, left onto Walnut Street, and right onto Schuylkill Avenue to the ramp to I-76 westbound.
"You're navigating on the east side of the river to jog your way to get to 76 West. It's going to be slow, no doubt," PennDOT Deputy Communications Director Brad Rudolph told KYW Newsradio. "It's hard to close 76 on a weekend. We've done a lot of coordination with the city and the sports complex and other stakeholders to pick a series of weekends that would be least impactful."
During the weekend closure, the 34th Street ramp to I-76 West, the South Street ramp to I-76 West and the I-76 West ramp to South Street will be closed. The ramp from University Avenue to west I-76 will remain open.
PennDOT plans to close the same westbound stretch of highway the weekend of April 11, and again on a yet-to-be-determined weekend in May. Similar work closed the eastbound lanes of I-76 for several weekends last fall.