City, Federal Partners Celebrate Completion of First Major Project Funded by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Reconstructed Montgomery Avenue Bridge demonstrates the power of strong intergovernmental collaboration with reopening of vital connection for North Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA - Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and the City of Philadelphia's Department of Streets were joined by federal partners including the White House on Tuesday, September 24 to officially open the reconstructed Montgomery Avenue Bridge with a ribbon cutting event, marking the completion of the City's first major Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funded bridge project. 

The City awarded Buckley & Company, Inc. to replace the bridge in 2021 with a $17 million contract using 80 percent federal BIL funds, 15 percent state funds, and five (5) percent City Capital funds.

"Today, we celebrate the completion of the restored Montgomery Avenue Bridge, a key connector in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood that will reopen a vital access point for North Philadelphia," said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. "I want to thank the Biden-Harris Administration and all of our federal partners whose strong leadership delivered us the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which made this project possible. We are utilizing these historic levels of funding to build a safer, cleaner, and greener Philadelphia with access to economic opportunities for all. Projects like this grow and develop our local labor workforce and benefit the communities we serve. When we say we are building a government that all Philadelphians can see, touch, and feel, this is what we mean."

In April, President Biden announced Philadelphia as one of four new White House Workforce Hubs to ensure all Americans can access the good jobs created by the President's Investing in America agenda, which includes the American Rescue Plan, the BIL, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

One of the City's first actions as a Workforce Hub was announcing new policies to create more pathways into well-paying jobs. Specifically, Geographic and Economic Hiring Preferences (GEHP) will establish goals for the hiring of apprentices and journeypersons residing in economically disadvantaged zip codes. Implementing hiring preferences is an important tool to provide economic opportunity for all by creating access to careers with family-sustaining wages

Apprentices and journeyworkers such as carpenters, cement masons, iron workers, operating engineers, and laborers, brought this project to completion over three years.

"The Montgomery Avenue Bridge reconstruction demonstrates the wide scope of work carried out by our talented teams at the Department of Streets," said Kristin Del Rossi, Commissioner, Department of Streets. "We are proud to lead the way on major infrastructure projects around Philadelphia, including the Fox Chase Lorimer Trail connection for pedestrians and cyclists, the Penrose Roundabout near the stadium complex, and many traffic calming installations in neighborhoods across the city. Each day, our department is contributing to Mayor Parker's vision for a cleaner, greener, and safer Philadelphia."

The reconstruction project includes approximately 191 tons of structural steel, fabricated by High Steel in Lancaster County, PA. The new bridge approaches consist of 220 feet of Prefabricated Modular T-Wall System retaining walls and utilize approximately 1,100 cubic yards of lightweight glass aggregate from Aero Aggregates for structural backfill to support the approaching roadways - the same material used during the I-95 Collapse Emergency Repair.

The City worked closely with Amtrak, Conrail, and PECO to ensure the bridge could be demolished and rebuilt safely with minimal impact to rail operations. This required extensive planning and coordination months in advance of demolition and construction work.

The Montgomery Avenue Bridge is now open for travel, reopening a vital access point between Fairmount Park and North Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Additional Resources:

• City's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Program Page
• City's White House Workforce Hub Program Page

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