A section of westbound Market Street will be closed for more than three months beginning Aug. 4 to allow work to continue on a $16 million project to transform the iconic roadway in Old City.
The 24/7 closure will impact Market between 2nd and 6th streets and remain in place through Nov. 17, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said in a recent statement.
Drivers heading west in the area will be detoured to Front, Arch and 6th streets to avoid the construction zone. Market’s eastbound lanes will not be affected, according to PennDOT.
While Market is a state highway, the street redesign is being undertaken by the city and its contractor, C. Abbonizio. Currently, two car lanes run in each direction; once the work is done, there will be one lane each way with a center turn lane at intersections.
Crews are building a parking-protected bike lane that will be level with the sidewalk. The project also incorporates expanding concrete bump-outs at bus stops, upgraded sidewalk ramps and new traffic signals.
A pedestrian plaza is set to be installed at 2nd and Market, with backers, including the Independence Historical Trust, aiming to have the space centered around the Tamanend statue, currently located about a block away near the I-95 ramp. The proposal to move to the monument has reportedly been the subject of negotiations with Native American tribal organizations.
Efforts to revamp Market Street began about a decade ago, when the Old City District gathered public input and published a report. A city project website indicates that the work should wrap up in April.
City officials hope to have the project completed in time for next summer’s Semiquincentennial, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Visitors are expected to flock to the historic district, as well as the South Philadelphia sports complex, which will host several FIFA World Cup matches and the MLB All-Star Game.
That stretch of Market will become the latest street put on a “road diet,” in an attempt to improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders. It is among the roads on the city’s High Injury Network – the 12% of streets that account for 80% of all traffic deaths and serious injuries.
