The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) celebrated the completion of the Woodland Avenue Bridge Replacement Project with local officials and community members.
SEPTA worked in partnership with the city of Philadelphia to replace the original Woodland Avenue Bridge that was built in the 1920s. Along with vehicles and pedestrians, the bridge, which is located on Woodland Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets, carries SEPTA's Routes 11 and 36 trolleys, and crosses over the Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line.
"With cars, pedestrians, bikes, trolleys and trains traveling on or below the Woodland Avenue Bridge every day, replacing this nearly 100-year old bridge was a high priority for the city of Philadelphia," said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. "I am grateful to the neighborhood residents, and others who rely on Woodland Avenue, for their patience and understanding throughout construction. Projects like this are investments in community safety and quality of life, and I am pleased we were able to deliver this important enhancement."
Prior to the project, the bridge was weight restricted. Its replacement ensures unrestricted vehicular, trolley and pedestrian traffic on this critical economic corridor. Construction began in March 2018 and required street closures and detours.
"This project was a significant undertaking that benefited greatly from our strong partnership with the city of Philadelphia," said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey Knueppel. "SEPTA would like to thank the community and our customers for their patience during this critical improvement project. We are thrilled to have the new Woodland Avenue Bridge open, and we can now look forward to decades of safe and reliable service on this new span."
In addition to the bridge replacement, the project included reconstruction of the street, sidewalks and utilities, as well as the installation of new continuous welded rail tracks and other track component enhancements to improve the overall ride for customers and the surrounding community.
Funded by federal, state and local sources, the Woodland Avenue Bridge Replacement Project was part of SEPTA's overall "Rebuilding the System" program, which is addressing long-needed upgrades to infrastructure and fleets throughout the transit and regional rail systems.
