PennDOT says demolition is still underway and will continue for the next seven weeks.
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Sweet Lucy's BBQ on State Street in Tacony is getting back to normal.
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Restaurants took a big hit after a portion of the I-95 overpass that collapsed on June 11.
"We were probably down about 50% in business because we get a lot of local business customers and people working around here," said Brooke Higgins, owner of Sweet Lucy's BBQ.
Right off I-95 sits Sharkey's Grill and Ale House, another beloved restaurant that started to hemorrhage when traffic came to a screeching halt.
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"Our numbers went from half of what we were doing. We still haven't recovered fully," said Chris Wilson, manager of Sharkey's.
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The manager says he believes people are still afraid to come down this way.
"Everything is open. Traffic is flowing. It's like we're back to normal," said Wilson.
We caught up with PennDOT's Deputy Communications Director Brad Rudolph to see how the construction is going. He says once demolition is done, they can start building the outer lanes.
"Eventually, sometime this winter, we will switch traffic to the newly constructed outer lanes. So three lanes in each direction, so that will stay the same," said Rudolph.
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PennDOT says Governor Josh Shapiro expedited the construction of the steel beams from nine months to just two months.
"We also hope to reopen Cottman Avenue, the off-ramp, to at least a one-lane staged construction traffic pattern in the spring of 2024," said Rudolph.
PennDOT says the entire $25 to $30 million project should be complete by June of 2024, and they don't anticipate any further disruptions to businesses in the area. But say if they do, they will communicate those changes.
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