Philadelphia’s Callowhill neighborhood has taken a hit with the indefinite closure of the Noble Street Bridge – a small stretch that spans only as long as 13th Street. The Philadelphia Department of Streets made the announcement on Wednesday, citing the deteriorating condition of the bridge as the reason for the closure.
Although the Noble Street Bridge may be small, its closure has a significant impact as it marks the western end of the city’s beloved Rail Park. The Rail Park, a quarter-mile long elevated public space built atop the former Reading Railroad Viaduct, opened in 2018 and has since become a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.
Looking for more news? Blink Fitness to close its Philadelphia gyms after filing for bankruptcy
While the closure of the bridge may disrupt traffic flow, the Rail Park remains open and unharmed. Pedestrians and cyclists will now have to navigate through the park to cross 13th Street instead of using the bridge.
Concrete barricades have already been set up at both ends of the Noble Street Bridge, blocking any vehicular access. Signs will be posted at Broad and Noble streets to alert drivers, although no official detour signs will be provided.
The decision to close the bridge was made to ensure the safety of the traveling public, as the steel support beams were no longer deemed safe to handle the weight of vehicles. The Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory records indicate that the bridge, constructed in 1892 and reconstructed in 2018, was already in “poor” condition and had an average daily traffic of 150 vehicles in 2019.