Philadelphia – Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams announced today that a portion of the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) beneath the Martin Luther King Bridge (MLK) will be closed for the month of December.

Beginning Monday, December 4, a small section of the SRT, located between Paine’s Park and Fairmount Water Works, will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists.  The trail closure is needed to allow the bridge contractor to safely work on the MLK Bridge over top of the SRT.  The bridge contractor will be installing debris shielding and scaffolding, as well as blasting, priming, and painting of the existing bridge structure.

Trail closure is expected to last the entire month of December in conjunction with the bridge contractor activities.  Pedestrians and bicyclists will be detoured at the closures between Paine’s Park and Fairmount Water Works.  Trail detour signs will be posted at either end of the trail closure to direct pedestrians and bikers around the closure using the trail behind the Philadelphia Art Museum to reconnect to Kelly Drive.  The trail is expected to be reopened to pedestrians and bicyclists by the start of the new year.

This work is part of the ongoing MLK Bridge Rehabilitation project which is being performed by Haines & Kibblehouse.  The value of the construction contract is $20.1M, and is being fully funded using federal dollars. Overall bridge construction is expected to be completed by the Spring 2025.

The Streets Department thanks citizens in advance for their patience and cooperation during this important project.