Schuylkill River Trail will soon close at MLK Drive Bridge through the end of the year

A section of the Schuylkill River Trail under the Martin Luther King Drive Bridge will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists through the end of the month, starting on Monday, Dec. 4.

The closure between Paine’s Park and Fairmount Water Works will allow for work on the MLK Drive Bridge, which includes installing debris shielding and scaffolding, as well as painting, the Streets Department said in a statement on Thursday. The bridge rehabilitation project is expected to be complete by spring 2025 and cost $20.1 million in federal funds.

Signs along the Schuylkill River Trail will reroute people to a detour behind the Philadelphia Art Museum, to reconnect with Kelly Drive. The bridge itself closed earlier this year to all traffic and is expected to remain closed until the completion of the work in 2025.

Another portion of the trail is also currently blocked off to pedestrians and cyclists for work on the Manayunk Canal restoration. That closure went into effect in September and will continue through the end of the year. Those traveling along the trail can take a detour along Umbria Street.

The recent closures come as projects are underway to expand the Schuylkill River Trail. Last year, officials announced a $2.5 million Pennsylvania economic development grant would be put toward connecting South and Southwest Philadelphia by extending the Schuylkill River Trail to Passyunk Avenue. A $45 million project proposal is already under construction which includes building a bridge along the eastern bank of the Schuylkill.