City Avenue being reduced to 1 lane for work to repair bridge over SEPTA tracks

Drivers should be prepared for a slower ride along busy City Avenue between Philadelphia and Montgomery County for the next several weeks.

That's because crews begin work Monday on a $22.4 million project to rehab the City Ave. (U.S. Route 1) bridge over SEPTA's Cynwyd Regional Rail Line, PennDOT said.

What section of City Ave. between Lower Merion and West Philly will be reduced to single lanes?

From March 10, 2025, to April 7, 2025, only one lane in each direction of City Ave. will be open "in each direction between Bryn Mawr Avenue and 47th Street for excavation and paving operations," PennDOT said.

What's being down to rehab the span of City Ave.?

"PennDOT’s contractor will rehabilitate the 114-year-old, 60-foot-long, 80-foot-wide, concrete arch bridge, which was previously widened in 1934," PennDOT wrote. "Additional work includes repairing the structure’s sidewalks; replacing existing utility lines; rehabilitating and extending the retaining wall; installing stormwater management; and resurfacing operations."

JPC Group, Inc. of Philadelphia, is the contractor on the project that's funded 80% federally and 20% from the state.

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How bad is the slowdown?

Drivers were warned to expected backups and delays, PennDOT said.

As of midday Monday, March 10, 2025, drivers said five-minutes drives along City Ave. were taking around 15 minutes instead.

Best bet, give yourself extra time, or find adjacent roads so you can avoid the lane closures.