The MLK Drive bridge has a reopening date
Pedestrians and drivers now have a date for when they'll be able to travel on a restored Martin Luther King Drive Bridge.
Behold, pedestrians, bikers, and drivers: The Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Bridge has a reopening date.
More than two years after the bridge closed completely to the public for a rehabilitation project, the span will reopen for recreational activities on Sept. 19.
As for drivers, cars are welcome starting Sept. 22 at 7 a.m.
The 690-foot bridge has connected MLK Drive and Eakins Oval since 1966, but has not been open to cars since before the pandemic. For 17 months, the entire drive was closed to automotive traffic and turned into a popular recreation area for cycling, running, and walking. Advocates had pushed to prohibit vehicles permanently, but cars were permitted back on much of MLK Drive in summer 2021. The bridge, however, was kept closed to vehicles due to deterioration.
The restored bridge was initially set to fully reopen in the spring, but Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced in March the deadline was moving to September.
The $20 million partially federally funded project was meant to rehabilitate the bridge to allow for structural safety. The improvements bring repaired piers and steel structures, according to the city. Workers also replaced and widened the concrete bridge, and a new three-car-lane layout adds a 10½-foot-wide bike and pedestrian path to the MLK Drive trail.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. on the east side of the bridge, near Eakins Oval.
MLK Drive is closed to vehicles on weekends from March to November.