The MLK Drive Bridge is a steel girder bridge built in 1966 over the Schuylkill River on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (formerly known as West River Drive) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation owns and maintains the bridge.[1] The western end of this bridge is upstream from the western end of the Spring Garden Street Bridge, but the eastern end of this bridge is downstream from the eastern end of the Spring Garden Street Bridge.
MLK Drive Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The lower bridge is the West River Drive Bridge, seen from the Art Museum Drive. | |
| Coordinates | 39°57′52″N 75°11′02″W / 39.96449°N 75.18389°W |
| Carries | Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive |
| Crosses | Schuylkill River, Schuylkill River Trail |
| Locale | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Official name | Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive Bridge |
| Other name(s) | West River Drive Bridge |
| Owner | Pennsylvania Department of Transportation |
| Maintained by | PennDOT |
| ID number | 677301025000120 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | girder |
| Material | Steel, concrete |
| Total length | 701.1 feet |
| Width | 36.1 feet |
| No. of spans | 3 |
| Piers in water | 2 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1966 |
| Location | |
 | |
The bridge is currently closed to all traffic as it undergoes a reconstruction project which is expected to be completed in 2025.[2] The bridge's rehabilitation includes expanding the width at street level, providing space for a dedicated bicycle and pedestrian lane which will connect to the MLK Drive trail; the $20.1 million project was funded by the Bridge Formula Program grant included in the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden.[3]
Gallery
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MLK Drive Bridge, looking west. -
As viewed from a kayak on the Schuylkill River. The MLK Drive Bridge is the lower of the two.
See also
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References
edit- ^ "West River Drive Bridge". Historic Bridges of the United States. James Baughn. 2010-07-26. Archived from the original on 9 Nov 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Thomas (13 Jan 2023). "Beginning in February, MLK Drive bridge will be closed to the public until summer 2025". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 9 Feb 2024.
- ^ Cassidy, Matthew (April 4, 2024). "Infrastructure Roundup: City Receives $158M Grant for Chinatown Stitch, Secretary Buttigieg Tours MLK Drive Bridge Project, and More". City of Philadelphia. Retrieved May 9, 2024.