Part of eastbound Schuylkill Expressway in Gray’s Ferry to temporarily close for weekend redecking work, PennDOT says

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — PennDOT bridge work is closing the eastbound Schuylkill Expressway in Grays Ferry for four weekends this fall, starting September 21.

It's a project to repair the road surface on two bridges that carry traffic on I-76 east over the Schuylkill River and Grays Ferry Avenue. For four straight weekends, East 76 will close from just after the University Avenue off-ramp to just before the 34th Street on-ramp.

PennDOT says there will be a Saturday-to-Monday closure starting September 21, Friday-to-Monday closures the weekends of September 27 and October 4, and a Friday-to-Sunday closure beginning October 11.

Drivers are advised to use the eastbound Vine Expressway (I-676) to South I-95 to avoid the closures. A local detour will take drivers off East 76 at Grays Ferry Avenue and route them over the University Avenue bridge back to 76 East.

“These backups are going to be significant on these alternate routes, especially the local routes that use the University Avenue Bridge," PennDOT District 6 Deputy Communications Director Brad Rudolph told reporters Thursday. “No ramps will be closed during the work.”

Harold Windsich, PennDOT's District 6 Senior Assistant Executive for Construction, says they’ve been communicating with the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia so that patients and employees would be aware of the detours.

"You might want to take the 30th Street exit to get around, go down to 34th Street, or you might bail out at South Street," he said. “The current concrete surface is being milled and replaced with a durable blacktop that should last 10 to 15 years.”

The construction schedule could be affected by the weather and any Phillies postseason home games. Rudolph says work on the westbound side of the bridge is expected to be done next year.

The full East I-76 closure schedule:

9 p.m. Saturday, 9/21 to 4 a.m. Monday 9/23
9 p.m. Friday 9/27 to 4 a.m. Monday, 9/30
9 p.m. Friday 10/4 to 4 a.m. Monday 10/7
9 p.m. Friday 10/11 to 6 a.m. Sunday 10/13