Passengers on the Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line will have to endure the inconvenience of a three-month shutdown this summer, as SEPTA repairs the 121-year-old Crum Creek Viaduct, writes Sandy Smith of Philadelphia Magazine.
According to Smith, construction of the new bridge, which will sit in the same spot as the span it’s replacing, has been moving along for the past 12 months. Now that the support piers are in place, it’s time for the actual spans to be installed. That will require an 11-week suspension of rail service beyond Swarthmore from June 18-September 5.
The plan to circumvent the construction is for passengers who board the line at the stations beyond Swarthmore – Wallingford, Moylan-Rose Valley, Media, and Elwyn – will have to catch shuttle buses at their stations and ride to Swarthmore. There, trains will take them into Center City.
For outbound commuters, the opposite with occur, as riders will board shuttle buses at Swarthmore.
“SEPTA is holding a series of open houses at the five affected stations next week to give residents and riders an overview of the project, details on the service interruption, and information on shuttle bus services,” writes Smith. “Interested parties can also ask questions and raise concerns with members of the SEPTA project team.”
All of the following open houses will take place from 4 PM to 8 PM:
- Wednesday, May 18: Swarthmore Station, Park Avenue and Chester Road, Swarthmore
- Thursday, May 19: Wallingford Station, 141 E. Possum Hollow Rd. (at Kershaw Avenue), Wallingford
- Friday, May 20: Moylan-Rose Valley Station, 4 Manchester Rd., Rose Valley
According to Smith, the bridge that’s being replaced was built in 1895 to replace an earlier bridge whose stone piers still stand today. The 915-foot span rises more than 100 feet above the creek.
Click here to read more about the closing at Philadelphia Magazine, and click here to read DELCO Today’s previous coverage.
