Martin Luther King Drive Expected To Reopen To Vehicles In August

CBS Philadelphia

May 11, 2021

Good news for commuters in Philadelphia. Martin Luther King Drive is expected to reopen to vehicles the first week of August.

A city spokesperson tells CBS3 “based on consultation with City Council and the progress of the City’s infrastructure projects including improvements to the Martin Luther King Trail, and upgrades to lighting and upcoming paving, the city is announcing that Martin Luther King Drive will be open to vehicular traffic beginning in August. Adjustments to the configuration of MLK are under review.”

“Traffic patterns can make or break communities," Councilman Curtis Jones said in a statement to CBS3. "At the onset of the pandemic, MLK Drive was temporarily closed and was used to provide additional open space to cyclists, pedestrians, and joggers. In addition, much-needed Capitol repairs are being performed to repave this critical thoroughfare. This temporary closure gained in popularity to the degree that stakeholders wanted to make the closure permanent. Push back from many adjacent neighborhoods from as far away as Mt. Airy to Parkside have protested the closure because of the inconvenience of travel as well as increased traffic due to the detours. Future closure times must be negotiated with communities most impacted by them.”

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