2-year, $35M overhaul of Passyunk Ave. Bridge to begin Tuesday

Beginning Tuesday the Passyunk Avenue bridge is getting an overhaul, initiating a $33.5 million project that will reduce lanes and create space for bikes by 2018.

The 1980s era drawbridge is being reduced from three lanes in each direction to two, according to a release from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The change is being done to make the bridge conform to the number of lanes on the rest of the road, said spokesman Charles Metzger. Widening the shoulders to 13 feet in each direction will also make space for new bicycle lanes, he said.

The work will include upgrades to the to the drawbridge's motors, brakes, locks and gears, along with other mechanical and structural repairs. The 2,240-foot-long bridge carries about 20,800 vehicles a day. Work in the coming weeks will be conducted from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., and some lanes on the bridge are expected to stay open throughout the process.