PennDot begins two-year reconstruction of George C. Platt bridge

2/23/2012 | Construction Blog, Real Estate Blog

On Monday night, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation official began construction on the George C. Platt Memorial Bridge on Route 291. The $43 million rehabilitation project will reportedly restrict the bridge to one lane in each direction for the next two years, with pedestrian access remaining on the bridge during that time.

The Platt Bridge is a major connection between South and Southwest Philadelphia, and is a direct connection to the sports complex. It supports thousands of motorists daily. The project will address much needed repairs of the bridge, and is expected to be completed by June 2014.

According to PennDot, the project will proceed in four stages:

• In the first two months, the contractor will set up concrete barriers on both sides of the bridge, restricting traffic to one lane.
• Over the next six months, one eastbound and one westbound lane will run on the eastbound side of the bridge and the lanes will be separated by a barrier.
• Over the following 13 months, both lanes on the westbound side will be separated by a concrete barrier.
• Over the final seven months, one eastbound and one westbound lane will be back on their respective sides. The bridge will open back up to two travel lanes in each direction at the end of this stage.

The project is expected to cause delays in traffic, and commuters are being advised by PennDot to use alternate routes or allow more time for travel on the bridge.

Source: nbcphiladelphia.com, “Platt Bridge Construction Begins,” David Chang, February 21, 2012.