PennDOT cancels planned Schuylkill Expressway EB closure ahead of Phillies playoff games

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The planned closure of the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) East in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia this weekend has been canceled, PennDOT said Wednesday.

PennDOT said in a news release the cancelation is due to events at the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia.

The announcement comes the day after start times were announced for the NLDS playoff games the Phillies will be hosting at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday and Sunday.

First pitch for both games is set for 4:08 p.m.

The now-canceled closure was set to happen from the evening of Oct. 4 until early on Oct. 7.

PennDOT is still planning to close the eastbound lanes of the highway next weekend.

The closure is set to last from 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 until 6 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.

The closure will extend from the University City Exit to the 34th Street Exit.

PennDOT originally planned four weekend closures, but so far two have been canceled.

Action News asked if the canceled closures would be rescheduled, but a spokesperson said those plans have not been set. That's because crews got more work done than anticipated during last weekend's closure.

So, it remains to be seen if full or partial closures will be needed to finish the work.

This project is focusing on repairs to the bridge deck and riding surfaces in the eastbound lanes of both the I-76 land and river bridges.

The bridges are used by a combined 38,000 vehicles daily.

Work crews will be replacing the current asphalt with a longer-lasting material that PennDOT says will help prevent issues like surface cracking and potholes.

PennDOT says drivers can check on current conditions on major roadways by visiting https://www.511pa.com/

Drivers can find a list of a complete list of PennDOT District 6 construction projects here: https://www.penndot.pa.gov/RegionalOffices/district-6/Pages/Philly-Regional-Traffic-Bulletin.aspx

PennDOT also recommends following regional alerts which will be posted on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/511PAPhilly