PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited Philadelphia on Tuesday to check on progress at the construction site of the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Bridge.
Formerly known as the West River Drive Bridge, the steel girder structure crosses the Schuylkill River under the Spring Garden Street Bridge to connect Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was built in 1966.
“You know, it's one thing to talk about numbers on a page or legislative text. It's another to actually physically get out and see the projects,” Buttigieg said.
Two years ago, the secretary visited the site to announce that Philadelphia would get $20 million in federal funding to repair the bridge, through the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
“I know, as a former mayor, what it's like trying to come up with the funding,” he said. “Even the match can be a real burden on a stressed municipal budget.”
Buttigieg says his department is trying to provide as much federal money as possible for sorely needed infrastructure projects across the country.
“This is often done with a mix of state, local and federal funding, although the $20 million for the MLK bridge are 100% federal,” Buttigieg said.
Bill Gural, chief construction engineer with the Philadelphia Streets Department, led the secretary on a tour of the bridge. He says work began on this project one year ago.
“The contractor began their bridge demolition, and simultaneously they began to blast the existing steel to remove the rust,” Gural explained.
He says the project is expected to be completed by summer of next year.
“The proposed bridge itself is going to have a protected, shared-use trail for bikes and [pedestrians],” Gural said. “Slightly widening the bridge, repurposing the bridge and reconfiguring the structure.”
As of Monday, the Schuylkill River Trail beneath the MLK Bridge is closed for two weeks. Trail users can still access MLK Drive from the East Falls Bridge south to the construction zone. The city's Department of Streets published a map, showing the official trail detour route and an alternative route, starting March 27.
While on the bridge, Buttigieg shook hands with members of the steelworkers union who are working on it. He said investment in transportation helps build the economy while creating an improved quality of life.
“We believe this is a big reason why we have seen record job creation in America manufacturing jobs, construction jobs and wages are growing at an extraordinary rate,” said the secretary, adding it’s never too early to start talking about the next infrastructure package.
“Of course, the best way to make sure there's strong support for that next infrastructure package is to show that we're delivering with this one.”