Holme Avenue bridge closes due to deterioration

UPDATE — The Holme Circle Civic Association will have a meeting June 29 at 7p.m. at St. Jerome School Hall to discuss the latest developments.

PennDOT has announced the closure of the Holme Avenue Bridge due to “serious deterioration.” The bridge will remain closed until work is completed later this year.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)today announced that Holme Avenue will be closed and detoured betweenWillits Avenue and Route 1 (Roosevelt Boulevard) in Philadelphia beginning Monday afternoon at about 2 p.m. in connection with a bridge replacement project. Construction began last November on this project, with one lane closed in each direction on the bridge.

However, the work has uncovered serious deterioration, including lengthy cracks in the deck and in a supporting abutment. For safety reasons, PennDOT’s contractor has stopped work and must fully close the bridge to traffic before proceeding with dismantling the current structure.

A posted detour will follow Willits Avenue and Route 1 (Roosevelt Boulevard.)Local access will be maintained up to the closure points of Lewin Place and Longford Street. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the area.

Under this project, PennDOT is replacing a structurally deficient I-beam bridge,which was built in 1919, with a new box beam bridge. The new bridge, like the current one, will have two lanes in each direction, and sidewalks. The bridge carries about 22,500 vehicles per day on Holme Avenue over the Conrail tracks.

The project was originally scheduled for completion in July 2012, based on thebridge remaining open to traffic with lane restrictions. However, with the full closure of the bridge, PennDOT’s contractor will be able to work more quickly, and the bridge is now projected to reopen by the end of this year. The general contractor on the $5,867,538 project is Buckley and Co., Inc. of Philadelphia. The project is financed with 100 percent state funds.

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